TO  THE 

IMITATED 

lU  the  Language  of  the  Xerv  Testament; 

AND  TO  HIS 
WITH 

OBSERVATIONS  AND  REMARKS, 

BY 

ROBERT  REID,  A.  Df. 

PASTOR  OP  THE  FIRST  CHURCH  OF  ERIE, 


/  Jley  shall  be  ashamed  of  the  oaks  which  ye  have  desired,  and  yc  ehall  b©  CdlH 

founded  for  the  gardens  that  ye  have  chosen.^-Jsaia^  /.  29. 


XENIA,  OHIO, 
BS'PBINTED  BY  JAMES  B.  GARDINER* 

J  826. 


>^o' 


tcrian  His^brical  Society 
^^liil^-PJi^'PsL.  19147. 


THC  writer  of  the  following  observations  and  remarks  is  on© 
of  those  who  have  formerly  considered  the  difference  between 
what  is  called  •' Rouse's  version  of  David's  Psalras.'''  and  the 
Psalms  of  Dr.  Watts,  to  be  so  trivial,  that  it  ought  never  to  have 
been  agitated  in  the  christian  church.  Indeed,  so  great  was  his 
apdlhy  concerning  thissubje.  t,  that  he  seldora  gave  it  a  moment's 
consideration;  he  knew  that  it  had  long  been  a  source  of  diificul- 
ties  in  the  church,  that  it  has  created  party  feelings  and  conten- 
tions &  animosities  whenever  it  had  been  agitated,  &  therefore 
he  tjelermined  to  ;et  it  rest.  Hp  had  always  been  accus- 
tomed to  the  use  of  the  Psalms  of  Scripture,  -^nd  he  imagined 
that  his  , predilection  for  them  arose  merely  from  habit;  and 
therefore  he  was  disposed  to  make  allowance  for  the  predilec- 
tion of  those  who  had  been  accostomed  to  Watts';  he  still,  how- 
ever, continued  the  use  of  the  Old  Psalms  in  his  public  ministra- 
tions, although  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  many  of  his  congrega- 
tion; and  to  his  pertinacity  in  the  use  of  them  he  ;s  indebted  for 
a  large  portion  of  his  troubles  in  the  gospel  ministry.  Just  a- 
bout  the  period  when  his  mmd  began  to  be  somewhat  as;itated 
on  the  subject,  &  in  doubt  what  course  was  the  best  to  be  pur- 
sued, Mr.  iVl'Master  gave  to  the  world  his  excellent  "  Apology 
ior  the  Psalms  of  Scripture."  This  he  read  with  care  and  much 
anxiety,  and  then  gave  the  subject  all  the  attention  which  his 
circumstances  would  admit  of.  From  that  period  his  course 
v/as  decided.  He  blamed  himself  for  having  so  long  delayed  to 
bear  his  testimony  for  the  truth,  and  immediately  took  a  deter- 
mined stand  in  favor  of  the  soncrs  of  divine  inspiration. 

He  now  confesses  with  shame  that  his  former  inattention  to 
ihh  subject  was  exceedingly  culpable;  for  he  has  reason  to  fear 
tnat  it  arose,  at  least  in  part,  from  too  great  a  desire  not  to  offend 
certain  leading  characters  who  at  that  time  belonsred  to  his  con- 
fjregation.  It  grieves  him  also  to  reflect  thnt  many  on  whom  he 
then  might  have  had  some  influence  are  now  so  far  gone  into  de- 
lusion that  there  is  no  longer  any  hopes  of  reclaimins:  them  •  but 
still  he  considers  ith;s  !my  to  state  the  truth:  fjnd  he  trusts  that 
these  who  are  acquaiiited  with  him  will  not  impute  it  to  selti&h 


t,  T^'TRODUCTIOX. 

jhouli.]  be  io  ?pe:\k  t!ie  truth  without  any  improper  iuflueno.e 
from  fear  or  aiiectiori;  the  warmth  of  our  feelings  will  no  doubt 
son;etimes  lead  us  into  eirois  ot"  e.\j)res?ion;  but  every  man  of 
oruKlorwid  know  how  to  jnd^^e  on  this  subject,  and  will  make 
thosf  ailowanr.es  wiiirh  charity  demands. 

Upon  the  whole  the  writer  is  confident  that  he  i?  sveakivg  on 
GoWs  behalf,  and  in  defence  of  Ihe  flivine  institutions; — he  is 
assured,  by  the  testimony  of' his  conscience,  that  he  speaks  vi//: 
riinplicilij  and  podhj  sinccritii ;  and  that  his  chi'jf  desire,  next  to 
tlie  honor  of  (iad,  is  to  benefit  mankind,  and  especially  the 
.••ouls  entrusted  to  his  care,  lie  is  deeply  convinced  fiom  long 
m;ddilif(ent  sturly  oflhe  propiiecifs,  and  from  as  attentive,  and 
as  accurate  ohservHtion  of  the  state  of  the  religious  world  as  his 
.  opportunities  would  allow,  that  we  are  now  u[»on  the  eve  of 
sonrie  cxenlful  clinnire  in  the  providence  olGod.  IJe  firmly  be- 
lievfi^;  that  tli.'  introduction  oi'liuman  inventions  into  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah  has  y:r»^at!y  contributed  to  cast  a  veil  over  the 
real  ci^oumstance^  of  the  chrislian  rhurch;  and  was  the  cfiief 
means  by  which  the  ( east  that  asccndeth  out  oj  the  bottovihss  pit 
lias  been  enabled,  in  the^^e  (lay>/o  makcivur  ai:;cti)iii  the  witnesses 
vf  tndh  and  to  oicrcome  ihim  aiv!  Idll  ihevt. —  lie  is  equally  cer- 
ta:n,  from  the  events  which  iiave  lately  taken  place  in  the  world 
and  iVom  the  chanire  that  has  lately  taken  place  in  his  own 
mind.  an<l  in  thf;  minds  of  others  whose  writings  he  has  consult- 
ed, or  with  who:n  he  has  conversed,  tiiat  the  wilne.-ses  have  now 
bci^un  to  rise  iVom  fhf»  <lead,  and  tha»  they  shall  soon  stand  upon 
their  teet,  and  ^reat  fear  shall  fall  vpon  them  thai  ithold  thtui. — 
f;rnorance  and  inaltention  will  no  doubt  blin<lfold  the  eyes  of 
many.  We  are  told  by  the  Mpostle  Peter,  that  tlurc  shall  come 
in  these  litfl  da>jy  srufliij-st^'.iialuing  afcr  their  oivn  liisis.  ami  sayiu^\ 
vckcre  is  the  promise  nf  hi*  comiv.^.fcr  since  the  fathers  fell  asleep 
alltliinfj^s  conlinmros  Iheij  verc  from  the  be;jit>nin^  of  ike  creation. 
Such  characters  will  no  doubt  endeavor  to  turn  these  obs»^i  va- 
fi'ins  into  ridiriile;  but  tho  d:>y  of  venj^eance  will  come  upon 
f'u'fn  suddenly:  iov  wht-n  tlity  suf;  peace  and  safety^  then  sudden 
df\iirurtion  ca-.ndk  vponthciii,  Wi  travail  vpon  a  ivoinanunth  child, 
nu'l  t'ley  shall  no'  acapp. 

'I'liese  ihinp's  l-f  ino^ premised,  tlip  candid  attention  ofth^  read- 
(*\'  i*  eurne-riy  requested  to  the  followinjr  subject.  l|e  will  not 
fju'l  much  that  i-j  new;  but  he  will  find  snuie  important  lliin;^5 
i\i.i\  havo'bcc"  ('''.iv  ,.  ,...!.  .,>    1   .'.,>,^.^  (^.-../.^fon 


wmm  wm^MM. 


WHILE  wesing  the  praises  of  our  God  in  his  diurcli,  we  are 
employed  in  that  part  of  worship  which  of  all  others  is  the  near* 
est  akin  to  heaven;  and  it  is  a  pity  that  ibis,  of  all  others,  should 
be  performed  the  worst  upon  earth.  The  gosffel  brings  us 
nearer  to  the  heavenly  state  than  all  the  former  dispensations 
of  God  amongst  men:  And  in  these  last  days  of  the  gospel,  we 
are  brought  almost  within  sight  of  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord ;  yet 
we  are  very  much  unacquainted  with  the  songs  of  ihc  A'ew  Je- 
rusalem^ and  unpractised  in  the  work  of  praise.  To  see  the  dull 
•*jn difference,  the  neglig-ent  and  thoughtless  air  that  sits  upon 
the  faces  of  a  whole  assembly,  while  the  psalm  is  on  their  lip<, 
might  tempt  even  a  charitable  observer  to  suspect  the  ferven- 
cy of  inward  religion;  and  it  is  much  to  be  feared,  that  the 
minds  of  most  of  the  worshippers  are  absent  or  unconcerned. — 
Perhaps  the  modes  of  preaching  in  the  best  churches,  still  want 
some  degrees  of  reformation;  nor  are  the  methods  of  prayer  so 
perfect  as  to  stand  in  need  of  no  correction  or  improvement; 
but.  of  all  our  religious  solemnities,  Psalmody  is  the  most  un- 
happily managed ;  that  very  action,  which  should  elevate  ns  to 
the  most  delightful  and  divine  sensation,  doth  not  only  flat  oaf 
devotion,  but  too  often  awakens  our  regret,  and  touches  all  th6 
springs  of  uneasiness  viith in  us. 

I  have  been  long  con-vinced,  that  one  great  occasion  of  this 
evil,  arises  from  the  matter  and  words  to  which  we  confine  all 
our  songs.  Some  of  them  are  almost  opposite  to  the  spirit  of 
the  gospel;  many  of  them  foreign  to  the  state  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, and  widely  different  from  the  present  circumstances  of 
Christians  Hence  it  comes  to  pass,  that  when  spiritual  affec- 
tions are  excited  within  us,  and  our  souls  are  raised  a  little  a- 
bovethis  earth  in  the  beginning  of  a  psalm,  we  are  checked  on 
a  sudden  in  our  ascent  towards  heaven,  by  some  expressions 
that  are  most  suited  to  the  days  of  carnal  ordinances,  and  fit  on- 
ly to  he  sung  in  the  uorldly  sanctuary.  When  we  are  jnst  en- 
tering into  an  evangelic  frame,  by  some  of  the  glories  of  the 
gospel  presented  in  the  brightest  f-irures  of  Judaism, yet  the  very 
next  line  perhaps  which  the  rlerk  parcels  out  unto  us, hath  some- 
thing in  it  so  extremely  Jewish  and  cloudy,  that  darkens  our 


/ 


e  PREFACE. 

si'ht  of  God  the  Saviour.  Thus,  by  kcepfng  too  close  to  David 
in  the  house  of  God,  tha  veil  oi  .Moses  is  thrown  over  our  hearts. 
While  we  are  kindling  into  divine  love  by  the  meditations  of  the 
Icrving  kindness  oj  God^  and  the  multitude  of  his  tender  mercies^ 
within  a  feu  vei  pes  some  dreadful  curse  against  men  is  propo- 
sed to  our  lip?:  Th^t  God  -xould  add  iniquity  unto  their  iniquity, 
nor  let  them  come  into  his  righteousness,  but  blot  them  out  of  the 
booh  of  the  living,  P.^al.  Ixix.  26.  27,  28,  which  is  so  contrary  to 
the  new  comraandaient  oi lorcing  our  enemies;  and  even  under 
the  Old  Testament  is  best  accounted  for,  by  referrinor  it  to  the 
spirit  of  prophetic  vengpince  Some  sentences  of  the  Psalmist 
that  are  expressive  of  the  temper  of  our  own  hearts,  and  the 
circumstances  of  our  lives,  may  compose  out  spirits  to  serious- 
ness, and  allure  us  to  a  sweet  retirement  within  ourselves,  but 
we  nieet  with  a  following  line,  which  so  peculiarly  belongs  but 
to  one  action  or  hour  of  the  life  of -Darii,  or  ot  Asaph,  that 
breaks  offoursong  in  the  midst;  our  consciences  are  affrighted; 
least  we  should  speak  a  falsehoofl  unto  God:  Thus  the  powers 
of  our  souls  are  shocked  on  a  sudden,  and  our  spirits  rufBed,  be- 
fore we  have  time  to  reflect  that  this  may  be  sung  only  as  a  his- 
tory of  ancient  saints;  and  perhaps,  in  some  instances,  that  saU 
vo  IS  hardly  sufficient  neither:  Besides,  it  almost  always  spoils 
the  devotion,  by  breakings  the  uniform  thread  of  it:  For  while 
our  lips  and  our  hearts  run  on  sweetly  together,  applying  the 
words  to  our  own  case,  there  is  something  of  divine  delight  in  it; 
but  at  once  we  are  forced  to  turn  off  the  application  abruptly, 
and  our  lips  speak  nothing  but  the  heart  of  David.  Thus  our 
own  hearts  are,  as  it  were,  forbid  the  pursuit  of  the  song-,  and 
then  the  harmony  and  the  worship  groiv  dull  of  mere  necessity. 
Many  minister"',  and  many  private  christians,  have  long 
I  groaned  under  this  inconvenience,  and  have  wished,  rather  than 

I  attempted  a  reformation.     At  their  importunate  and  repeated 

requests,  I  have,  for  some  years  past  devoted   many    hours  of 
I  leisure  to  this  service      Far  be  it  from  my  thoughts  to  lay  aside 

!  the  book  of  Psalms  in  public  worship:  few  can   pretend  so  great 

I  a  value  of  them  as  myself     It  is  the  most  artful,  most  devotion- 

I  al,  and  divine  collection  of  poesy ;  and  nothing  can  be  supposed 

I  more  proper  to  raise  a  jjioussoul  to  heaven,  than  some  parts  of 

that  book;  never  was  a  piece  of  experimental  divinity  fo  nobly 
I  written,  and  so  justly  reverenced  and  admired:  But  it  must  be 

acknowledged  still,  that  there  are  a  thousand  lines  in  it  which 
were  not  made  for  a  cliurch  in  our  days,  to  a>«sume,a8  its  own? 
There  are  also  many  deficiencies  of  light  and  glory,  which  our 
Lord  Jesus^  and  his  apostles  h»ve  supplied  IQ  tte  writings  of  the 


^ei?7  Tesiacient;  and  with  this  advantage  I  have  composetl 
these  spiritual  songs,  which  are  now  presented  to  the  world. — 
Kor  IS  the  attempt  vain-glorious  or  presuniing;  for  in  respect  of 
clear  evangelical  knovvledge,  The  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
is  greater  Stan  all  the  Jeiuish  'prophet,':^  Mattb.  xi.  11. 

Now  let  me  give  a  short  account  of  the   following  compO' 
sores. 

The  greatest  part  of  them  are  suited  to  the  general  state  of 
the  gospel,  and  the  most  common  afifairs  of  Christians.  I  hope 
there  will  be  very  few  found  but  what  may  properly  be  used  ia 
a  religious  assembly,  and  not  one  of  them  but  may  well  be  a- 
daptedto  some  seasons,  either  of  private  or  ot  public  worship. 
The  most  frequent  tempers  and  ch.inges  of  our  spirit,  and  con- 
ditions of  our  life,  are  here  copied,  and  the  breathings  of  our 
piety  expressed  according  to  the  variety  of  our  passions,  our 
love,  our  fear,  our  hope,  our  desire,  our  sorrow,  our  wonder,  and 
our  joy,  as  they  are  refined  into  devotion,  and  act  under  the  in- 
fluence and  conduct  of  the  blessed  Spirit;  all  conversing  with 
God  the  Father  by  the  new  and  living  way  of  access  to  the 
throne,  even  the  person  and  mediation  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
To  him  also,  even  to  the  Lamb  that  ivas  slain,  and  naxv  lives,  i 
have  addressed  many  a  song;  for  thus  di)th  the  Holy  Scripture 
instruct  and  teach  us  to  worship,  in  the  various  short  patterns  of 
Christian  Psalmody  described  in  the  Revelations.  I  have  avoid- 
ed the  more  obscure  and  controverted  points  of  Christianity,  that 
we  might  all  obey  the  direction  of  the  word  of  God,  and  sing  his 
praises  v:ith  understanding.  Psal.  sivii.  7.  The  contentions  and 
distinguishing  words  of  sects  and  parties  are  RecUided,  that 
whole  assemblies  might  assist  at  the  harmony,  and  difierent 
churches  join  in  the  same  worship  without  offence. 

If  any  expressions  occur  to  the  reader,  that  savour  of  an  opin- 
ion difierent  from  his  own,  yet  he  may  observe,  these  are  gener- 
ally such  a?  are  capable  of  an  extensive  sense,  and  may  be  used 
with  a  charitable  latitude.  1  think  it  is  most  agreeable,  that 
what  is  provided  for  public  sinking,  should  give  to  sincere  con- 
sciences as  little  disturbance  as  possible.  However,  where  any 
unpleasing  word  is  found,  he  that  leads  the  worship  may  sub- 
stinite  abetter,  f  r  (Wcssed  be  G  d!)  we  are  not  confined  to  the 
words  of  any  man  in  our  public  solemnities. 

The  whole  book  is  written  in  four  sorts  of  metre,  and  fitted  to 
the  most  common  tunes.  1  have  seldom  permitted  a  stop  in 
the  middle  of  a  line,  and  seldom  left  the  end  of  a  line  without 
aa«i  to  comport  a  little  with  the  unhappy  mixture  o^  reading 

B 


.a  preface:. 

and  sJDgin|:,  which  cannot  presently  be  reformed.  The  met.w 
phurs  aro  gent^rally  sunk  to  the  level  of  vulvar  capacities^,  t 
have  aimed  at  ease  of  numbers  and  smoothness  of  so-aul.  am!  en- 
deavored to  make  the  sense  plain  and  obvious.  If  the  vers© 
iippears  so  gentle  and  flowing  as  to  incur  the  censure  of  feeble- 
ness, I  may  hone.-tly  affirm  that  sometimes  it  co:5i  me  labor  to 
make  it  so.  Some  of  the  beauties  or  poesy  are  neglected,  and 
some  wiifull V  defaced,  I  have  thrown  out  the  lines  that  were  too 
sonorous,  and  have  given  an  allay  to  the  verse,  lest  a  more  ex- 
alted turn  of  thought  or  language  should  darken  or  disturb  the 
tievotion  of  the  weakestsouls.  But  hence  it  comes  to  pass,  that 
I  have  been  forced  to  lay  aside  many  hymns  after  they  were 
finished,  and  utterly  exclude  them  from  this  volume,  because  of 
(he  bolder  figures  of  speech  that  crowded  themselves  into  the 
verse,  and  a  more  unconlined  variety  of  number,  which  I  could 
Bof  easily  restrain. 

These,  with  many  other  divme  And  moral  rompof»nres,  are 
row  prmted  in  a  second  edition  of  the  poems  entitled  Horcb  Lv- 
ricw;  for,  as  in  that  bf  ok  I  have  endeavored  to  please  nd  profit 
the  politer  part  of  mankind,  without  oti'endin^  the  plainer  sort 
*  ofchristians.  so  in  tliis  it  has  been  my  labor  (o  promote  the  pious 
entertainment  of  souls  truly  serious,  even  of  the  meanest  capaci- 
ty, and  at  the  same  time  (if  possible)  not  to  give  disgust  to  per- 
sons of  richer  sense,  and  nicer  education;  and  1  hope,  in  the 
present  volume,  this  end  will  appear  to  be  pursueH  with  much 
greater  happiness  than  in  the  first  impression  of  it,  though 
the  world  assures  me  the  former  has  not  much  reason  to  com- 
plain. 

The  who^e  is  divided  into  three  books. 

In  the  first  I  h^ve  borrowed  the  sense  and  much  of  the  form  of 
the  song,  from  some  particular  porti'^ns  ol  scripture,  and  have 
jjaraphrased  most  <>f  the  doxologies  in  the  New  Testament,  that 
contain  any  thiog  in  them  peculiary  evangelical;  and  many 
parts  of  the  Old  Testament,  also  that  have  a  reference  to  the 
times  of  ihc  Messiah.  In  (hrse  I  expert  to  be  often  censored 
for  a  (00  religious  observance  of  the  words  of  scripture,  where- 
by the  verse  is  weakened  and  deha'-ed  according  to  the  juflg- 
ment  off  ritirs:  But  as  my  whole  design  was  to  aid  the  devo- 
tion of  rhnstinns,  so  more  esperially  in  thi^  part:  And  lam 
aatisGed  I  shall  hereby  attain  two  end.s,  viz.  assist  the  worship 
of  all  serious  mmds.  to  whom  the  expresHons  of  scrinture  are 
vjTV  d»'Mr  anddeliu;htful.  atid  siritify  theta«<te  and  inclination  of 
lUiOse  who  think  nothing  mu^t  berjuog  unto  Cod  but  tUe  tUQslii' 


#^ 


PREFACE.  J! 

iions  of  lis  word.  Yet  you  will  always  find  in  this  paraphrase 
d-ivk  expressions  eniightened.and  the  Leviti cat  ceieinonies  and 
Ncbre-ji)  ibrms  of  speech  changed  into  the  worship  ot  the  gospel, 
and  explaiijed  in  the  language  of  our  time  and  nation;  and  wnat 
would  not  bear  such  an  alteration,  is  omitted  and  laid  aside. — 
After  this  manner  sriould  I  rejoice  to  see  a  good  part  of  the  book 
of  Psalmt  lilted  for  the  use  of  our  churches,  and  Z>artG^  convert- 
ed into  a  Christian:  But  because  1  cannot  persuade  others  to  at- 
tempt this  glorious  work,  1  have  suffered  myself  to  be  persua* 
ded  to  begin,  and  have,  thiough  divine  goodness,  already  pro* 
ceeded  halfway  through. 

The  second  part  consists  of  hymns,  whose  form  is  mere  hu- 
man composure;  but  1  hope  the  sense  and  materials  will  always 
appear divme.  I  might  liave  brought  some  teit  or  other,  and 
applied  it  to  the  margin  of  every  verse,  if  this  method  had  been 
as  useful  as  easy.  If  there  be  any  poems  in  the  book  that  are 
capable  of  giving  delight  to  persons  of  a  more  refined  taste  and 
poiite  edu  alion,  perhaps  they  may  be  found  in  this  pari;  but 
except  they  lay  aside  the  humor  of  criticism,  and  enter  into  a 
devout  frame,  every  ode  here  already  despairs  of  pleasing.  J 
confess  myself  to  have  been  too  often  tempted  away  from  the 
more  spiritual  designs  [proposed,  by  some  gay  and  tlowery  ex- 
pressions that  gratified  the  fancy;  the  bright  images  too  often 
prevailed  above  the  fire  of  divine  affection;  and  the  light  ex- 
ceeded the  heat:  Y^t  1  hope  in  many  of  them,  the  reader  will 
find,  that  devotion  dictated  the  song,  and  the  head  and  hand  are 
nothing  but  interpreters  and  secretaries  to  the  heart:  Nor  is 
the  magnificence  or  boldness  of  the  figures  comparable  to  that 
divine  license  which  is  found  in  the  eighteenth  and  sixty-eighth 
Psalms,  several  chapters  of  c/o6,  and  other  poetical  parts  of 
scripture:  And  in  this  respect  I  may  hope  to  escape  the  reproof 
of  those  who  pay  a  sacred  reverence  to  the  Holy  Bible. 

I  have  prepared  the  third  part  only  for  the  celebration  of  tho 
Lord's  supper,  that,  in  imitation  of  our  blessed  Saviour,  we 
might  sing  an  hymn  after  we  had  partaken  of  the  bread  and 
wine.  Here  you  will  find  some  para[)hrases  of  scripture,  and 
some  other  compositions.  There  are  above  an  hundred  hymns 
in  the  two  former  parts,  that  may  very  properly  be  used  in  the 
ordi  lance,  and  sometimes,  perhaps,  appear  more  suitable  thau 
any  of  these  last:  But  there  are  expressions  generally  used  ia 
these  which  confine  them  only  to  the  table  of  the  Lord;  and 
therefore,  [  have  distinguished  and  set  them  by  themselves. 

If  the  Lord,  \vho  inhabits  tbc  praises  of /jrac/,  shall  refuse  id 


le  PREFACfe 

imile  upon  tills  attempt  for  the  reformation  of  psalmody  amonj^at 
the  churches,  yet  1  humbly  hope,  that  the  ble?ised  Spint  will 
niike  these  composures  useful  to  private  Christians;  and  it  tliey 
may  but  attain  the  honor  of  being  esteemed  pious  meditations, 
to  assist  the  devout  and  retired  soul  in  the  exercises  ol  love,  faith, 
and  joy,  it  will  be  a  valuable  compensation  of  my  labors:  My 
beart  shall  rejoice  at  the  notice.of  it,  and  my  God  shall  receive 
the  glory.  Tliis  was  my  hope  and  view  in  the  tirst  publicaiion; 
and  it  is  now  my  duty  to  acknowledge  to  him  with  thankfulness 
how  useful  he  has  made  these  compositions  already  to  the  com- 
fort and  editication  of  sorietiesand  of  private  persons:  And  up- 
on the  same  grounds  I  have  a  bet'er  prospt^ct,  and  a  bigger 
hope  of  much  more  service  to  the  church,  bv  the  large  improve- 
ments ot  this  edition,  if  the  Lord  who  dwells  ia  Zion  shall  favor 
it  with  his  continued  blessing. 


NOTE. — In  all  the  longer  hyrfins,  and  in  some  of  the  shorter, 
their  are  several  stanzas  included  in  crotchets,  [  ];  which  stan- 
zas may  be  left  out  in  singing,  without  disturbing  the  sense.— 
Those  parts  are  also  included  iii  surh  crotchets,  which  contain 
words  too  poetical  for  meaner  understandings,  or  too  particular 
lor  the  whole  congregation  to  sing.  But  after  all,  it  is  best,  in 
public  psalmody,  for  the  minister  to  chose  the  particular  parti 
and  verses  of  ihe  Psalm  and  Hymn  that  ia  to  be  sung,  rather 
than  leave  it  to  the  Judgment  or  casual  determination  of  hiax 
that  leads  the  tunc. 

NOTE. — Since  the  sixth  edition  of  this  book,  the  author  has 
finished  what  he  has  so  long  promised,  viz.  The  Psalms  of  Da- 
vid imitated  in  the  language  of  the  New  Testament;  which  the 
world  seems  to  have  rocoived  with  approbation,  by  the  sale  of 
some  thfiusands  in  a  year's  time.  It  is  presumed,  that  the  book> 
m  conjunction  with  thii«,  may  appear  to  be  such  a  suflic  ient  pro- 
vision for  psalmody,  as  to  answer  most  occasions  of  the  Chris- 
tian's life:  And  if  an  author'^  own  opinion  may  be  taken,  he  ea- 
teems  it  the  greatest  work  that  he  has  ever  published,  or  evcjr 
hopes  to  do,  for  the  use  of  tUe  chuicbes.- 


^arci^a^  1720/ 


i©i§imTA^2©ifi 


i^^i 


THAT  part  of  the  exercises  of  devotion  by  which  we  cele- 
brate in  songs  the  praise  of  our  God,  is  truly  the  most  elev  ted- 
of  all  the  christian  duties.  It  is  ''  the  part  of  worship  which  \s 
the  nearest  akin  to  heaven  "  All  our  duties  are  designed  to 
prepare  us  for  this.  This  is  the  combined  perfection  of  them 
b11.  We  are  to  sing  the  doctrines  of  the  truth  of  God  in  which 
we  have  been  instructed,  we  are  to  celebrate  the  perfections  of 
God  which  he  has  revealed  to  us.  We  express  in  our  praises  all 
the  varied  eraotionsof  heavenly  joy,  k  godly  sorrow;  our  fears, 
our  troubles,  our  repentance,  our  conviction  of  sin,  our  sense  of 
j)ardon,  our  comfort  and  our  hopes,  in  a  word,  every  sentiment 
and  feeling  of  the  Christian's  heart  may  be  made  an  offering  to 
God  in  the  exercise  of  praiae. 

The  praises  of  the  church  of  God  are  advancing  towards  per- 
fection; as  every  chiistian  is  always  advancing  towards  the 
Stature  of  a  perfect  man  in  the  LordJesiis  Christy  so  the  whole 
united  body  of  worshippers  are  always  making  some  progress  in 
the  knowledge  of  God  and  in  the  purity  of  worship.  The  church 
in  ancient  times  were  wholly  ignorant,  or  had  dark  and  con- 
tracted views  of  many  subjects  in  religion,  which  areas  clear  to 
Qs  as  the  noon-day  sun;  and  there  are  still,  no  doubt,  many  stib- 
jectsin  religion,  of  which  our  views  are  dark  and  contracted,  but 
which  will  be  altogether  bright  and  glorious  in  the  eyes  of  pos- 
terity: and  thus  the  church  is  gradually  advancing  towards  th« 
light  and  glory  of  the  heavenly  state. 

But  this  gradual  advancement  of  the  church  towards  perfec- 
tion  is  not  to  be  measured  by  her  progress  in  any  particular  age 
or  country  It  is  not  like  the  hiws  of  gravity,  by  which  the  mo^ 
tion  of  a  falling  body  is  constantly  accelerated.  It  is  rather 
like  the  influence  of  light  from  the  dawning  of  the  morning  to 
the  brightness  of  noon.  The  sun  is  frequently  obscured  by 
clouds  which  leave  some  parts  of  the  earth's  surface  in  com- 
parative  darkness;  but  still  it  is  true  that  the  light  is  increasing: 
so  the  church  of  God  has  been  advancing  ever  since  the  begin* 
ning.  In  some  ages  and  in  some  countries  the  hght  has  beea 
partially  obscured;  but  it  has  always  shone  with  greater  splen- 
dor, when  that  obscuration  was  removed;  we  have  now  strong* 
.  (ground  to  believe  that  the  last  clouds  which  obscure  the  glory  of 
tjic  church  are  about  to  pass  awa/,  and  that  we  sb&IJi  soon  be 


U  OBSERVATIOXS. 

blesspd  w't^  the  "  sight  of  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord.""     God  viiH'^ 
soon  b  ^n   i»  say  to  liis  church,  and  y,'i\\  accompan)'  his   word 
with  puer  to  produce   the    eflect:   anse,    shines  Jor  thy   li^hi 
is  come,  end  the  glory  oj  the  Lord  is  risen  ujjon  thee. 

But  we  may  rest  assured  that  this  Llessed  light,  which  in  these 
latter  days  shall  etih^hten  the  world,  will  not  only  ^iruceed  alto- 
gether from  the  word  of  God,  but  it  *vill  teach  men  to  esteem, 
/respect  and  reverence  the  word  of  God  more  than  they  did  be- 
fore. We  shall  always  indeed  have  reason  to  lament  our  o*n 
dullness,  and  want  of  readiness  to  apprehend  the  blessed  truth  of 
the  sjoFpel,  which  is  constantly  pouring  in  upon  us  Irom  duinc 
revelation;  and  to  be  ashamed  and  grieved  lor  our  negligence 
nnd  haniness  of  heart  *'  while  the  Psalm  is  on  our  lips;"'  because 
*!very  one  drags  after  him  a  body  of  sin  and  death :  which  is  ao 
impediment  in  the  performance  of  every  christian  duty  :  but  wc 
.-,h;»ll  learn  to  ascribe  our  sins  to  the  proper  cause,  &.  not  to  the 
mai:er  and  words  which  God  has  given  us  to  be  oilered  to  bim  m 
praise. 

Every  accurate  observer  of  mankind,  who  has  attended  t!ie 
TVor-hip  of  God  in  courche  where  the  psalms  of  scripture 
are  exciusively  us*^<!,  will  no  doubt,  in  the  present  days,  as  well 
as  in  the  days  of  Dr.  Watts,  have  some  reason  to  suspect  the 
fervency  of  inward  religion  in  many;  and  perhaps,  in  some  con- 
^reo^ations,  he  mi}  he  led  to  conclude  that  there  is  very  little 
ifervency  of  inward  reli^gion  in  the  great  mass  ot  the  worshippers  j 
but  I  am  persua.led  there  are  few  christians  in  the  world  ia 
Ihnse  days,  who  like  the  Doctor,  would  dare  to  lay  the  blame  on 
llie  word  of  God  to  '*  which  they  conline  all  their  songs."  'V\\e 
nnost  charitable  observer,  who  attends  the  worshij)  of  those  con* 

fre2;ations.  that  have  adopted  new  systems  of  psalmody,  might 
e  tempted  to  suspect  that  more  uttenlionis  paid  to  the  exter- 
nals of  worship,  the  tuning  of  the  voice,  and  the  harmony  of 
io'ind*.  than  to  the  internal  melody  of  the  heart;  and  perhaps 
when  there  is  a  strong  degree  of  excitement  in  their  devotion,  iie 
might  be  tempted  to  attribute  a  part  of  it  to  enthusiasm,  and  ta 
as-f  rtthat  one  great  occasion  of  the  evil  arose  from  the  matter 
am!  words  of  their  song  of  praise:  but  still,  although  his  opir.ion 
might  he  wrong,  he  would  not  be  guilty  of  disrespect  to  th€ 
WoilofGotl.  Vet  Dr.  W.  boldly  announces  his  conviction 
•*  t!iat  one  great  occasion  of  the  dull  indi!lerence  and  the  negli* 
g'  nt  ind  (hoMghtiess  air  that  sits  upon  the  fact  s  of  a  whole  a»- 
te  Mbly  whf'h  tlie  P^airti  is  on  their  lips, arises  trom  the  maUef 
tnd  woicU'"'  of  Ibc  .Scripture  of  truth! 


OBSERVATIONS,  tC 

It  is  true  we  are  not  to  use  the  word  of  God  as  a  cfiarm  ^r  ^-I- 
rsman  from  which  we  ho[>e  certain  efierts  will  be  produced  ;n 
our  minds.  The  mere  words  of  s<^ripture  will  be  of  no  mofe 
benefit  to  us  than  the  words  of  a  man,  unless  we  have  some  nn- 
derstandingof  the  senee  and  meaning:,  and  are  able  to  make 
some  apphcation  of  them  to  our  own  hearts;  we  are  not  disposed 
to  deny  that  some  parts  of  the  word  of  God  were  more  applica- 
ble in  the^r  literal  sense  to  the  church  in  ancient  days,  than  thej* 
are  to  the  church  in  the  present  time;  but  still  we  believe  witli 
the  apostles  that  all  scripture  is  ghen  by  inspiration,  of  God.  and 
is  profitable  j or  doctrine,  for  reproof  for  correction,  and  for  in- 
str'uction  in  righteousness:  and  we  infer  that  every  ordinance  of 
the  ancient  dispetisation,  however  it  may  appear  at  first  inap- 
plicable, has  nevertheless  a  spiritual  meaning  from  which  we 
may  derive  spiritual  benefit  provided  we  understand  it;  the 
Psalms  of  David  frequently  recur  to  the  forms  of  worship  under 
the  Old  Testament;  but  if  our  minds  are  spiritually  exercised 
we  shall  always  find  a  substantial  spiritual  sense,  which  will 
both  enlighten  the  underslanc'ing  and  warm  (he  heart.  In  thf 
psalms  of  David  we  sing  the  deliverance  of  the  Israelites  from 
their  troubles,  and  the  jud'p;ments  executed  on  them  for  their 
sins,  but  when  we  reflect  that  the  church  of  God  is  one;  that 
the  christian  church  is  the  very  same  which  existed  in  the  dayt 
of  Moses  and  of  Joshua,  in  Egypt  and  in  Canaan;  that  the  hia^ 
tory  of  God's  dealing  with  his  people  in  the  ancient  ag'es  is  al- 
so the  history  of  his  dea'itig^s  in  latter  ages;  and,  that  every  i»* 
dividual  may  find  in  his  own  experience  something  to  correa- 
pond  with  every  sentiment  and  every  expression,  which  relate* 
to  that  body  of  which  he  is  a  member  we  can  scarcely  avoid 
conviction  that  the  Psalms  of  scripture  contain  not  only  the 
true  offering  of  praise,  which  ought  to  be  rendered  up  io  Got 
continually;  but  that  they  contain  the  true  spiritual  food  for  our 
»ou!s,  which  cannot  be  derived  from  the  inventions  of  men.— 
Hence  it  IS  plain,  that  if  we  do  not  derive  benefit  from  the 
Bono^s  of  inspiration,  the  fault  must  be  in  ourselves.  "  The  dulj 
inditiierence  and  the  negligent  and  thoughtless  air,  that  sits  upoo 
our  faces  whi?e  the  Psalm  is  on  our  lips,''  ought  to  be  a  matter 
of  humiliation  and  godly  sorrow;  but  let  us  be  aware  of  charging 
oursins  upon  the  word  of  God. 

Dr.  W.  seems  never  to  have  taken  the  subject  into  consider- 
ation, that  the  authority  of  God  is  as  necessary  for  the  re^ula- 
tjbn  of  oar  worship  nnderthe  NinvTestamentasundertheOld-.S^ 
^at  we  oaust  be  able  to  put  our  finger  oii  some  part  of  scri^jtuje. 


\p  OBSERVATteN^. 

3y  approaches  to  blasphemy  against  the  spirit  of  inapiratioD,  tla« 
every  man  who  truly  reveres  the  word  ol  God,  must  shudder  at 
the  horrid  presumption  to  which  Dr.  W.  and  his  followers  have 
been  led.  Nothing  but  ignorance  can  save  them  from  that  sin 
frhich  is  beyond  the  reach  of  pardon.  Verily,  if  christians  wera 
rightly  affected  with  this  subject,  their  feelings  would  be  sinii* 
lap  to  those  of  Ezra,  when  he  came  to  Jerusalem  and  found  that 
the  priests  and  theLevites  and  the  people  had  not  seperated 
themselves  from  the  heathen  around  them;  but  had  taken  theit 
daughters  for  wives,  and  had  mingled  in  their  abominations.— 
When  I  heard  this  thing,  said  Ezra,  /  rent  my  garmcjits  and  my 
Tfiantlc,  arid  plucked  off  the  hair  of  my  head  and  of  my  beard,  and 
sat  doicn  astonished. 

This  is  truly  a  painful  subject  and  we  shall  pass  over  it  as 
lightly  as  possible:  The  whole  paragraph  is  so  plainly  founded 
on  mistaken  views  of  the  Old  Testament  dispensation,  that  wo 
jfondly  hope  that  no  christian  will  now  attempt  to  justify  one 
line  of  it.  None  of  the  Psalms  when  rightly  understood  wili 
be  found  to  be  "  opposite  to  the  spirit  of  the  gospel;"  none  of 
them  "  foreign  to  the  state  of  the  New  Testament,"'^  none  of 
them  "  widely  different  from  the  present  circumstances  of  chris- 
tians." The  truth  is,  that  they  express  the  very  circumstances 
of  the  christian  church  at  this  time,  and  the  particular  circum- 
stances of  every  christian.  They  express  all  the  glories  of  the 
gospel  not  only  in  the  "  figures  of  Judaism;"  but  in  the  language 
which  is  most  easily  understood  by  the  christian  who  is  conver- 
sant with  his  bible.  None  of  us  need  be  afraid  of  having  the 
"  veil  of  Moses  thrown  over  our  hearts,""  so  long  as  we  are  ena- 
bled to  behold,  w'if/i  open  face  as  in  a  glass,  the  glory  of  our 
ILordby  means  of  the  New  Testament  scriptures;  and  see  the 
Splendor  of  his  giory  as  it  is  reflected  upon  the  Old  Testament. 
Both  these  parts  of  the  scripture  equally  reflect  the  glory  of  Je- 
3US  Christ  upon  the  christian's  heart;  and  thus  he  18  changed  in- 
to the  same  image  from  glory  to  ^\ory  as  by  the  spirit  of  the 
Lord.  The  new  commandment  of  loving  our  enemies  is  by  ng 
means  contrary  to  the  imprecatory  parts  of  the  Psalms,  The 
Piedpemer  himself  when  he  was  upon  the  earth  useil  us  stronj 
Jan?uaa;e  on  this  subject  as  was  used  by  David.  ^Voe  ufito  you 
acribis  aud  pharisefs,  hypocrites.  Ye  serpents,  ^e  {generation  of 
vipers,  how  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  ^fheVl  VVhit  is  the  Im- 
gUHge  of  Paul  on  thissubjp  t?  (T'^"?/  ^^^^  ^^"^'^  "of  (tie  fjurdJe- 
inis  Cdmsf,  let  him  hr  Anathema  Mar  inatha.  What  is  the  Ian- 
^jage  of  the  eaiate  ef  G^U  es^rca^e^ia  the  Hcrelati»a;>  ?    •^'^ 


OBSERVATIONAL  tSk 

ikeae  things  1  heard  a  great  voice  of  muck  people  in  heaverty  saying 
aiitiuia;  saivation  and  honor  and  glory  and  power  unto  Itie  Lord 
our  God: for  true  and  righteous  are  kisjadgments:  Jor  he  hath 
j\idged  tfie  great  zvhore,  who  corrupted  the  earth  wUft  her/ormcaw 
tio  :,;andkatli  avenged  the  blood  of  his  saints  at  her  hand.  Xi^.  4  2.. 
TiiC  true  cnn?tiaii  when  ne  ig  engaged  in  the  exercise  ot  uevCK 
tion  aever  indulges  a  spitetui  or  revengeful  thougbt  against  those 
vvtio  have  injured  him.  On  the  contrary  he  blesses  them  liiat 
curse  him,  and  prays  for  tlwse  that  despitefuUy  use  hvn  and  per  sc'^ 
cute  him;  but  at  the  game  time  he  fuliy  acquiesces  and  rejoices 
ia  tue  righteousjLidgments  ofGod.  The  enemies  of  the  chcjs-- 
tian  are  the  enemies  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  when  we  pray  Ibr  the 
commg  of  his  kingdom,  we  embrace  the  principle  of  all  the  im-. 
J>r  cations  of  thf  Fsalms  of  David  Every  true  ser\  ant  oi  God 
pnys  for  the  days  of  vengeance;  not  from  selfish  considerations, 
not  that  he  may  exult  in  the  misery  and  degradation  of  those 
w  iO  have  i  jured  him,  but  that  righteousness  and  truth  may  pre» 
Va;  and  be  exalted.  He  knows  that  Jehovah  is  the  God  of 
ven.eaoce,  and  that  he  will  be  glorified  by  the  final  con^iemna* 
tion  of  his  enemies,  as  well  as  by  the  final  salvation  of  his  people; 
and  when  he  prays  for  that  salvation,  all  the  means  of  its  ac* 
co'iip  ishmentare  also  included  in  his  petitions.  No  line  in  th& 
psalms  of  scripture,  so  peculiarly  belongs  to  "  one  action  oc 
hour  in  the  lifeof  David  or  of  Asaph,'*  that  it  cannot  when  prop- 
erly applied,  belong  to  many  actions  aud  hours  in  the  fife  of  ev- 
ery chaistian:  and  if  we  sing  with  the  spirit  and  understanding-^ 
our  consciences  need  never  be  affrighted  lest  we  speak  a' 
falsehood  to  God  when  we  address  him  in  the  language  of  his 
Word.  It  is  truly  lamentable  to  read  such  sentiments  from  the 
pen  of  one  who  has  written  so  well,  and  so  much  like  a  chns- 
tian  on  many  of  the  subjects  of  Christianity,.  Such  sentiments 
from  Tindal  or  Paine  or  Voltaire,  would  be  comparatively  inof- 
fensive; but  when  one  who  has  long  been  considered  as  one  of 
the  best  and  warmest  friends  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  is  heard  to 
utter  such  horrible  sentiments,  we  can  scarcely  avoid  feeling  as 
if  truth  had  forsaken  the  earth:  and  the  impression  is  still  more 
painful  when  we  see  his  errors  followed  and  vindicated  by  the 
descendants  of  men  who  in  former  ages  were  the  most  strenuous 
advocates  of  the  truth.  Their  consciences  are  affrighted!  They 
are  afraid  lest  they  should  speak  a  falsehood  unto  God,  wheia 
they  offer  up  to  him  the  very  matter  and  words  which  he  ha3 
provided  for  their  praises,  but  they  are  not  afraid  to  offer  up  ta 
h'.m  most  glariog  notsQcse  and  fals^booda  which  tbey  have  a- 


20  OBSERVATIONS. 

dopted,  find  made  their  own,  by  receiving  the  effusions  of  weak 
aiid  erring  mortals  like  themselves! 

It  IS  a  fact,  which  no  man  of  understanding  will  deny,  that 
there  much  of  both  nonsense  and  falsehoods  in  those  humao 
compositions,  which  in  this  age  of  the  world  disgrace  the  prais- 
es  of  the  church;  and  the  Psalms  and  Hymns  of  Dr.  W.  are  not 
more  free  from  such  faults  than  other  human  compositions;  and 
yet  they  will  dare  to  ^o  into  the  presence  of  iheir  maker  and 
ofi'er  an  unclean  sacrifice  m  preference  to  the  pure  offering 
wh.ch  God  has  provided.  The  contracted  limits  of  this  little 
^ork  will  not  aJmit,  that  we  should  enter  largely  upon  the 
proofs  of  this  position;  nor  is  it  necessary  that  we  should;  for 
sundry  writers  have  already  brought  forward  and  exposed  a  suf- 
6cient  number  of  the  errors  of  Dr.  VV.'s  ifhitationss;  to  show  cleai- 
ly  both  nonsense  and  falsehoods.  We  shall  however  take  the 
liberty  of  adding  to  the  list,  one  which  does  not  appear  to  have 
have  been  publicly  noticed,  although  by  no  means  the  least  offen- 
sive and  dangerous: 

The  CIX.  is  one  of  those  psalms  which  the  Dr.  reprobates  as 
being  very  contrary  to  the  "  New  commandment  of  loving  our 
enemies,-'  he  therefore  puts  in  the  room  of  it,  one  of  his  own, 
tvhich  he  entitl<;s,  ''  Love  to  Enemies  after  the  example  of  Christ:'''' 
plainly  intimating  that  even  an  imitation  of  this  psalm  would 
have  been  improper.  In  verse  fourth  he  says: 
**  Their  malice  raged  without  a  cause, 

Yet  with  his  dying;  breath. 
He  prayed  for  murUeicrs  on  his  cross. 
And  blessed  his  foes  in  death." 

Here  the  Dr.  evidently  refers  to  the  prayer  which  was  of- 
fered by  our  Lord  when  the  Roman  soldiers  had  nailed  him  tc 
the  cross,  just  before  </ici/  parted  his  garments  and  cast  lots. — • 
Father,  said  hf,  forgive  them  for  they  know  not  what  tkey  (fo.  Luke 
XX^iM.  34.  He  supposes  that  this  prayer  was  offered  up  for  hie 
murderers  the  Jews.  But  this  is  evidently  far  from  the  truth; 
the  Dr.  tells  us  himself  in  one  of  his  hymns 

"  Itsha'nt  be  said  that  praying  breath 
Was  CTCr  spent  in  vain." 

Surely  then  God  would  honor  the  dying  breath  of  his  only  be- 
gotten son,  when  it  was  spent  in  prayer  tor  his  murderers;  and 
those  "■  foes  whom  he  blessed  in  deaih'^  are  blessed  forever.  If 
this  doctrine  were  true  it  wonid  certainly  bring  great  consolation 
to  all  murderers;  for  the  raurdrers  of  Jesus  Christ  were  certainly 
the  <:reatc'st  sinners  that  ever  disgraced  the  earth.  If  they  were 
(Bav«>d  who  jhall  be  lost?    l/hc  that  opmilhaTvl  no  man shntlcih'^ 


OBSERVATIONS.  £J 

titts  opened  the  door  of  mercy  for  them,  then  what  crimbrj 
Deed  fear  tbe  punishment  of  the  second  death  ?  What  sentiment 
can  declare  universal  salvation  more  openly  and  plainly  thao 
this?  If  this  is  true,  then  the  unpardonable  sin  may  be  pardon- 
ed, and  the  worst  enemies  of  Jesus  Christ  have  as  good  a  rio;ht 
to  expect  mercy  as  his  best  fnenc^s.  But  this  is  only  the  Ian* 
guage  of  Dr.  W.'s  imitation.  The  language  of  God's  word,  io 
the  faithful  version  of  the  psalms,  concerning  such  characters  13 
rery  different: 
^  As  he  in  cursing  pleasure  took, 

So  letitto  him  fall; 
As  be  delighted  not  to  bles3j 

So  bless  him  not  at  a'.l. 
As  cursing  he  like  clothes  put  on, 

Into  his  bowels  so, 
I^ike  water,  and  into  his  bones 

Like  oil,  down  let  it  go. 

This  was  the  end,  and  this  is  now  the  condition  of  the  mur- 
derers of  Jesus  Christ,  notwithstanding  the  false  sentiment 
which  Dr.  W.  puts  into  the  mouthsof  his  followers,  and  which 
they  still  dare  to  offer  up  to  God  in  his  church. 

It  was  not  for  the  Jews  the  Redeemer  prayed,  but  for  those 
who  were  employed  as  the  executioners  of  the  unrighteous  sen- 
tence. They  were  not  murderers  unless  the  executioners  of 
an  unjust  sentence  should  always  be  called  murderers.  It  is 
true  they  committed  a  great  sin.  No  man  could  be  innocent 
who  laid  violent  hands  on  the  Son  of  God.  But  th«y  ac'ed  in 
obedience  to  their  commander,  and  they  knew  not  whai  they  did. 
If  they  had  done  it  with  knowledge,  they  would  have  been  be- 
yond the  reach  of  pardon.  But  their  sin  of  ignorauce  was  for- 
given, and  they  were  saved.  Hence  it  is  said  concerning  them, 
and  all  such  enemies,  who  are  brought  to  repentance,  they  shall 
look  upon  him  whom  they  have  pierced. 

It  may  perhaps  be  proper  for  us  in  this  place  to  notice  tbe  ic* 
suiting  manner  in  which  the  Dr.  treats  the  sweet  Psalmist  of  Is^ 
rael  in  his  imitation  of  the  CXIX  Psalm,  and  in  the  note  which 
he  sets  before  it.  He  says,  "  I  have  collected  and  di^posed  the 
most  useful  verses  of  this  psalm  under  eighteen  different  heads 
and  formed  a  divine  song  upon  each  of  them.  But  the  verses 
are  much  transposed  to  attain  some  degree  of  connection."  This 
Psalm,  as  it  stands  in  the  original  Hebrew,  is  one  of  the  most 
artful  and  elegant,  and  perhaps  one  of  the  most  labored  compo* 
sitions  that  ever  appeared  in  any  language.  It  is  divided  into 
twenty-two  parts,  aod  each  part  contains  eight  stanzas  or  f  cftv 


^  OBSERA^^TIONS. 

ses,  which  begin  with  the  same  letter  of  the  Hebrew  alphabet. 
Jt  was  probably  composed  when  the  psaimist  was  lar  advanced 
in  years,  and  matured  in  divine  knowledge  and  wisdom ^  ior  it 
contains  lessons  of'practical  religion  which  have  not  only  never 
been  equalled  by  the  pen  of  man,  but  are,  m  lact,  the  sum  and 
substance  of  all  true  religion,  a?  it  exists  in  the  heart  and  expe- 
rience of  the  aged  christian.  The  man  who  has  spent  a  long  life 
m  the  study  of  the  scriptures  and  the  practice  of  Christianity, 
will  here  rind, day  by  day,  new  lessons  of  spiritual  wisdom  to 
regulate  his  heart  and  affections.  Men  possessed  of  the  most 
exalted  talents,— men  the  most  highly  endowed  with  every 
christian  virtue,  have  not  been  ashamed  to  read  and  study  and 
meditate  upon  this  psalm  to  the  end  of  iheir  lives;  and  confess 
tliai  mey  always  found  something  in  it  new  and  delighttul.  Uut 
Dr.  \V.  treats  it  as  a  piece  of  crude  composition,  dericient  in 
connexion  and  precision;  and  as  if  some  of  it  were  useless  or  un- 
xnieiligibie  to  the  christian  church,  and  therelore  not  lit  to  be 
sung  in  the  praises  of  God.  lie  tells  us  furtherj  ''in  some  pla- 
ces among  the  words  /a:y,  commands,  judgments  te^iUmoiiuSy  I 
have  used,  gospel,  ivord.gracey  truth,  prumiseSf  Sfc.  as  more  a- 
greeable  to  the  New  Testament,  and  the  common  language  of 
christians,  and  it  equally  answers  the  design  of  the  psalmist 
which  was  to  recommend  the  Holy  Scriptuies."     Men    do    not 

fpnerally  see  the  poison  which  is  contained  in  the  words  of  the 
>r  and  perhaps  he  did  not  see  it  himself:  but  we  can  now  feel 
the  effects  of  it  to  our  sorrow.  It  is  a  fact  that  the  world  has 
learned  to  set  one  part  of  the  scripture  in  opposition  to  the  oth- 
er; and  while  they  lavish  all  their  praise,  and  all  their  religious 
tlioughts  and  meditations  on  the  New  Testament,  they  treat  the 
Oid  Testament  scripture  as  a  garment  that  is  worn  out  and  de- 
CJ'  .ed.  This  was  certainly  not  the  design  of  the  psalmist,  and 
it  (  ertainly  was  not  the  design  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  when  he 
said  to  the  Jews,  search  the  scripture,  for  in  then  tje  thud::  ye  have 
ttirnal  life  and  theij  are  they  rakicti  testify  ofmt'  The  Redeemer 
evidently  meant  the  Old  Testament  scriptures,  for  the  New 
T'starnent  was  not  then  in  existence.  In  fai  t  the  New  Testa* 
xn^nt  is  merely  a  developement  of  truths  which  are  substan- 
ti:»lly  contained  in  the  Old;  and  therefore  the  intelligent  chris- 
tian  always  searches  in  one  for  the  truths  contained  in  the  other; 
and  thus  the  man  of  God  becomes  perfect,  thoroughly  J nrnished  Jot 
every  good  work.  Bu^  the  eflect  of  Dr.  VV.^s  production?,  has 
b»''vi,  to  conlui^'  the  aUention  of  the  world  to  the  New  'i'esta- 
ftent,  withoat  leading  tb«ra  at  all  to  searcia  aad  iaVeaiigate  the 


OBSERVATIONS  1^ 

Did  Testament  scriptures:  and  hence  we  may  date  the  origin  of 
that  light,  and  superficial,  and  fluctuating  kind  of  religion  vvhirb 
we  have  among  us.  It  is  founied  on  no  investigation  of  the 
ecriptures;  it  has  no  stability  b;jt  pr^djudice;  and  when  this  is 
shaken  and  removed,  we  shall  see  the  accomplishment  of  the 
second  vial  of  the  wrath  of  God.  The  second  angel  poured  out 
kis  vial  upon  the  sea,  and  the  sea  became  as  the  blood  of  a  dead  man, 
and  every  living  soul  died  in  the  sea.  This  will  be  found  in  the 
present  and  the  succeeding  age  to  be  an  enormous  evil  which 
Tvill  swallow  up  all  the  imaginary  spiritual  benefits,  derived  trooj 
the  efforts  of  Dr.  W.  to  amend  the  Psalms  of  David. 

In  order  "to  attain  some  degree  of  connection^'  he  has  man- 
fled,  and  torn,  and  dislocated  almost  every  joint  of  this  divind 
composition.  We  talk  of  a  language  being  murdered  when  the 
Writer  orspeaker  uses  the  words  of  it  m  a  manner  which  is  high* 
)y  improper.  But  Dr.  W.  has  committed  murder  in  a  nwich 
jBJOre  criminal  sense,  for  he  has  torn  this  psalm  limb  from  limb; 
and  put  it  together  in  such  a  bungling  manner,  that  cot  criH  it« 
beauty  and  elegance,  but  the  sense  of  it  is  in  a  great  measure 
lost.  He  has  the  vanity  and  presumption  to  say,  that  he  hai 
collected  and  disposed  the  most  useful  verses  of  it,  under  "eigh« 
leen  different  heads,  and  formed  a  divine  song  upon  each  of 
then/"  Some  of  the  verses  he  considered  as  useless,  and  threw 
them  aside;  and  the  rest,  he  altered  and  arranged  according  to 
his  own  fancy  and  this  he  calls  "forming  a  fli  vine  song  upo^ 
each  of  them."  It  is  charitably  hoped  that  Dr.  W.  did  not  be» 
lieve  that  this  psalm  was  given  by  the  inspiration  of  God,-  for  if 
be  had  believed  it,  the  most  ingenious  of  his  advocates  will  net 
be  able  to  clear  him  of  the  charge  of  blasphemy  against  the 
^irit  ofinspiration. 

It  seems  indeed  plainly  to  have  been  the  opinion  of  Dr.  W. 
that  David  was  permitted  to  intermingle  his  own  particular 
feelings  and  circumstances  with  the  word  of  God,  so  that  some* 
times  he  speaks  the  mind  of  the  spirit  of  God,  and  at  other  times 
be  speaks  his  own  heart.  But  if  he  had  seen  the  consequence 
of  this  sentiment,  there  is  little  doubt  he  would  have  rejected  it 
with  abhorrence.  If  some  parts  of  the  book  of  Psalms  are  inspi- 
red and  some  parts  merely  human;  if  there  are  some  lines  in  it 
in  which  David  speaks  his  own  heart  and  not  the  mind  of  the 
spirit,  may  not  the  same  thing  be  said  of  every  writer  both  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testament.?  Who  then  shall  undertake  to 
tell  us  what  is  human  and  what  is  divine?  Such  a  do(  trine 
vould  make  the  bible  of  no  more  authority  than  any  other  book= 


j^  OBSEKVATrONa 

We  might  take  such  parts  as  we  suppose  to  suit  our  own  castv 
and  throw  the  rc«t  aside.  It  will  not  mend  the  matter  iu  the 
least  to  say  that  God  gave  a  book  of  psalms  to  the  Jews-,  but  he 
he  has  j^ivcri  us  leave  to  fabricate  one  or  tu-o  or  as  many  as  we 
please  lor  ourselves.  This  suppo:-ition  is  not  only  without  any 
su[)port  from  the  sacred  volume;  but  it  supposes  that  the  proph- 
ets j'poke  their  own  sentiments  to  subserve  a  temporary  purpose  j 
that  David  made  the  boo!:  of  Psalms  merely  for  the  age  ia 
which  be  lived,  or  to  be  used  until  the  coming  of  the  Messiah : 
and  tliGu  either  to  be  thrown  aside,  or  altered  and  amended  by 
some  other  better  poet;  so  that  it  might  last  another  age:  and 
thus  rew  systems  of  psalms,  hymns  and  spiritual  songs  should  be 
introduced  from  generation  to  generation. 

This  statement  is  flatly  contradicted  by  the  apostle  Peter.-- 
2^no\vin^  this  first,  says  the  apostle,  ikat  no  prophecy  of  scripTurt 
is  of  private  mit.i^reidition  for  the  prophecy  came  7iot  in  old  time 
hit  the  will  (ftnan,  but  holy  men  of  God  spoke  as  they  were  moved 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  evident  the  book  of  Psalms  is  a  system 
of  prophecy,  directing  us  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  unfolding  the 
blessings  and  the  glory  of  the  gospel.  It  was  not  therefore  giv» 
en  by  the  will  of  man ;  it  was  not  made  to  subserve  a  temporary 
pur[  ose,  but  to  continue  ia  the  church  as  the  system  of  inspired 
songo  of  praise;  and  to  be  used  as  such  by  the  worshippers  of 
Gori  uptil  the  erjd  of  time. 

What  horrible  delusion  and  degradation  of  the  worship  of  God 
bas  this  false  sentiment  introduced  among  mankind!  The  opin- 
ion bas  now  become  current  that  one  kinri  of  religion  is  as 
good  as  another,  and  that  any  other  system  of  psalmody  is  as 
acceptable  to  God  as  that  which  he  has  given  us  in  his  word.  In- 
deed this  divine  system  is  not  relished,  and  can  scarcely  be 
borne  for  this  very  reason  stated  by  Dr.  W.  As  long  as  they 
can  apply  the  words  to  ♦heir  own  case,  or  their  own  frames  and 
feelings  which  are  frequently  very  difierent  from  the  christiao 
feelings,  then  their  lips  and  their  hearts  run  on  sweetly  together: 
but  when  the  word  of  God  teaches  other  sentiments  and  other 
feeliugs,  it  becomes  disgusting  and  must  be  exchanged  for  some- 
thing more  pleasing.  There  are  no  limits  to  this  kind  of  ex- 
travagance. One  system  of  praise  must  be  exchanged  for  ao« 
other,  and  cne  system  of  religion  for  another,  until  invention  it- 
eclfisexhauKted:  Dr.  W.  witli  all  his  poetical  powers  has  now 
boromc  antiquated  among  many  reli2;ious  societies.  His  imito* 
Cion  is  left  toslumbHr  in  silence,  while  some  more  fortunate  po- 
et :s  honored  as  tbo  fabricator  of  their  praises.     Agaiu  his  boa- 


OBSERVATIONS  25 

or  fails,  and  the  laurel  is  bestowed  on  some  other  adventurer. 
Sic  transit  gloria  mundi!  thus  we  see  how  the  wisdom oj ^he  wise 
man  perishes,  and  the  under  standing  of  the  prudent  is  hid: 

Dr.  VV.  confesses  thai  he  yielded  to  the  importunate  and  re- 
peated requests  of  many  ministers  and  private  christians,  to  de- 
vote his  hours  of  leisure  to  this  seivice,  and  that  still  it  was  far 
from  his  intention  "  to  lay  aside  the  book  of  Psalms  m  public 
worship;*'  and  then  he  launches  forth  into  an  encomium  upon  it, 
but  in  a  moment  afterwards  he  displays  the  corruptnesfe  of  his 
sentiments  by  saying  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  there  are^ 
thousand  lines  in,  it,  *'  which  were  not  made  for  a  church  in  our 
days  to  assume  a?  its  own."  No  doubt  he  gives  us  two  or  three 
of  the  thousand  lines  in  his  quotation  from  the  LXIX  Psalm: 

"  Add  thou  iniquity  unto 

Their  former  wickedness: 
And  do  not  let  them  fcome  at  al! 

Into  thy  righteousness." 

But  yet  these  very  sentiments  are  assumed  by  the  apostles  as 
their  own  when  they  quote  the  words  of  this  Psalm  as  fulfilled 
in  Julias  the  traitor.  Men  and  brethren,  says  Peter,- this  scrip- 
ture rH^^st  needs  have  heen  fulfilled,  lehich  the  Holy  Ghost  spoke  by 
the  mouth  of  David  concerning  Judas  who  was.  guide  to  them  that 
took  Jesus.— Let  his  habitation  be  desolate,  let  no  Tfian  dwell  there- 
in: and  his  bishoprich  let  another  take.  If  therefore  the  apostles 
assume  these  lines  as  their  own,  we  ought  to  have  no  hesita- 
tion in  singing  them  to  the  praise  of  God.  It  might  also  have 
been  easily  shown,  if  he  had  been  so  good  as  to  have  pointed  out 
(he  remainder  of  the  thousand  lines,  that  there  is  as  little  reason 
for  rejecting  them  as  for  rejecting  those  which  he  has  quoted. 
There  IS  no  part  of  the  Psalms  which  the  church  in  any  age, 
may  not  assume  as  its  oVn.  *'  The  deficiencies  of  light  and  glo- 
ry" which  have  been  supplied  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  h^s 
apostles,  were  intended  to  illuminateand  not  to  shine  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  sentiments  of  the  Sired  Psalmist  of  Israel  Al! 
spiritual  songs  which  are  composed  for  this  purpose  will  be  lika 
ignus  fatuus  that  glares  for  a  moment  and  is  then  lost  in  thA 
gloom  of  night  The  vain  glory  and  presumption  of  Dr  W. 
are  not  the  less  obvious  althoug-h  he,  disclaims  them.  The  at-^ 
tempt  he  has  made  would  have  Deen"yain-gloriJousiand  presuming 
although  he  had  been  in  every  sense  of  the  word  a  greater  char- 
acter than  the  greatest  of  the  Jewish  prophets.  It  is  not  the 
greatness  of  the  frophet,  riorhis  clearness  of  evangelical  knoH? 

D 


a^  OBSERVATIONS. 

edge  that  gives  him  a  right  to  make  Psalms  for  the  church  of 
oiGod.  If  Isaiah  or  John  the  Baptist  had  undertaken  such  a 
work  without  the  divine  authority,  would  it  not  have  been  vain- 
glorious and  presuming?  Did  the  prophets  or  apostles  ever  in- 
troduce their  own  inventions  into  the  worship  of  God?  Had 
2hey  not  a  THUS  SAITH  THE  LORD,  for  every  change  that 
Ihey  made  even  in  the  outward  forms  of  worship?  and  shall  a 
mere  uninspired  man  at  the  solicitation  of  his  friends,  and  be- 
cause he  possesses  a  certain  portion  of  poetical  talents,  dare  to 
put  his  effusions  in  the  r^om  of  that  system  of  psalmody  which 
Ood  has  given  to  his  church?  The  man  who  acts  in  this  man- 
ner does  in  fact  arrogate  to  himself  one  of  the  essential  prerog- 
atives of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  he  alone  that  has  the  au- 
tthority,  and  we  are  sure  he  never  sent  hiji  spirit  to  inspire  Dr. 
fV.  to  write  sentiments  exactly  opposite  to  his  former  revela- 
tions, which  he  has  given  in  the  scriptures  of  truth.  This  is  a 
tremendous  consideration.  Let  those  who  follow  this  vainglo- 
rious presumer,  look  at  the  precipice  on  which  they  are  stand- 
ing The  ground  has  began  to  moulder  away  under  their  feet, 
and  if  they  do  not  speedily  quit  their  situation,  their  fall  will  be 
deep  and  dreadful. 

Although  Dr.  W.  professed  such  high  estimation,  and  such 
exalted  sentiments  of  regard  for  the  book  of  Psalms;  and  not- 
withstanding his  declaration,  that  *'  it  was  far  from  liis thoughts 
to  lay  il  a.^ide  in  pubhc  worship;"  yet  like  many  professors  ia 
tiie  present  time,  there  seem?  to  be  a  total  inconsistency  be- 
tween his  professions  and  his  actions.  He  certainly  acted  as  if 
it  was  his  intention  to  lay  aside  the  Psalms  of  scripture  entirely. 
He  first  formed  an  "imitation"  of  the  book,  a  kind  of  resem- 
blance or  image  of  it,  and  introduced  this  resembance  or  image 
intothe  churches  in  the  room  of  the  original.  For  certainly  the 
Psalms  of  Dr.  W.  are  not  the  same  as  the  Psalms  of  scripture, 
when  he  himself  declares  that  '*  there  are  a  thousand  lines  in 
(hem  that  were  not  made  for  a  church  in  our  days  to  assume  as 
its  own."  The  truth  is,  therefore,  that  Dr.  W.  and  his  follow- 
ers have  laid  aside  the  book  of  Psalms  in  public  worship,  even 
although  they  should  never  use  any  other  compositions  but  hie 
"  Imitation. "  But  he  has  made  the  inconsittency  .still  more 
glarings  by  introducing  into  the  churches  a  number  of  composi- 
tions entirely  his  own.  In  these  elTusions  whicli  he  calls 
*•  Hymns  and  Spiritual  Songs,"  it  is  very  plain,  notwithstanding 
ail  his  professed  humility,  and  hisd^pial  of  vainglory  and  prc- 
»i;mption,  that  he  acts  himself  vip  as  the  stapdarJ  of  imitation  for 


.OBSERVATIONS.  2f 

ihe  churches  of  Christ.  He  says  he  has  copied  "  ttie  frequent 
tempers  and  changes  of  our  spirit,  and  the  conditions  of  our  hfe." 
He  has  •*  expressed  the  breathings  of  our  piety  according  to 
the  variety  of  our  passions,  our  love,  our  fear,  our  hope,  our  de- 
sire, our  sorrow,  and  our  joy,  as  they  are  refined  into  devotion, 
and  act  under  the  unfluence  and  conduct  of  the  blessed  Spirit." 
But  whfre  was  the  original  from  which  this  '•  copy*"  was  taken  t 
Was  it  not  in  the  mind  of  the  Dr.  himself?  He  has  copied 
merely  what  be  supposed  to  be  ''  the  frequent  tempers  and 
changes  of  our  spirit  and  the  breathings  of  our  piety,'*  &c.;and 
it  is  just  such  a  copy  as  might  be  expected.  It  displays  nothing 
90  much  as  his  own  vanity  and  presumption.  Who  authorized  « 
Dv  W.  to  draw  a  copy  of  the  "  breathmgs  of  our  piety,"  and 
then  to  present  this  copy  for  us  to  imitate  in  our  devotions,  in 
stead  of  the  original  w,hich  God  has  given?  If  Moses  had 
not  been  satisfi«  J  with  the  .engraving  o[  the  law  |  of  God 
on  thft  tables  of  stone,  because  he  found  somethmg  in  it  whicli 
did  not  exactly  suit  his  taste;  and  had  therefore  made  an  imita- 
tian  leaving  out  things  which  did  not  please  him:  and  if  he  had 
added  to  this  imitation  two  other  tables  oi  hi^  own,  he  would 
have  acted  precisely  on  the  principles  af  Dr.  W,  But  would 
not  God  have  said  to  him,  who  hath  required  this  atijour  hand'^ 
and  would  not  every  man  have  charged  him  with  vain  glory  and 
presumption?  This  is  a  very  different  case  from  a  minister  of 
the  gospel  in  the  pulpit,  or  a  writer  in  a  printed  book  exhibiting 
what  he  believes  to  be  the  breathings  of  chiistian  piety,  &c,,- 
for  we  never  think  of  taking  his  thoughts  and  presenting  therB 
to  God  as  the  offeringg  of  our  praise.  But  Dr.  W.  has  dared  to 
giv€  to  the  churches  his  copy  of  devotion,  that  they  may  present 
it  to  God.  I  ask  then  have  we  not  great  reason  to  suspect, 
from  his  egregious  vanity,  that  his  copy  is  not  a  faithful  portrait 
of  the  original,  or  that  he  had  not  so  much  knowledge  of  the  o- 
riginal  a?  to  make  a  true  copy  of  it?  And,  will  not  the  Redeem- 
er say  to  all  such  as  worship  by  this  copy,  In  vain  do  you  woV" 
ship  me,  teaching  for  doctrines  the  commandmevts  of  men. 

He  says  '*  there  are  various  shortpaterns  of  christian  psalmO" 
dy  described  in  the  Revelations."  Such  as  Worthy  is  the  lamb 
That  K'as  slain,  4*c.  But  here  the  Dr.'s  enthusiasm  has  led  him, 
like  the  famous  Don  Quixote,  to  mistake  a  wind-mill  for  a  gi- 
ant. There  is  no  pattern  of  christian  psalmody  described  in 
the  book  of  Revelation.  Every  one  knows  that  the  v/hole 
book  is  symbolical,  and  every  particular  revelation  is  made  in 
the  language  of  symbols     In  certain  cirCumslaaces  the  ^vhcle 


iJ^  CBSERVATIOIS'S. 

v«  -I 

church  is  repres^oted  as  pouring  forth  one  spontaneous  accla- 
mution  of  praise  to  the  lamb  that  ivas  slain.  Sfc.  and  this  the  Dr. 
suppobas  to  be  a  pattern  of  christian  psalmody     But   if  there 
was  any  argument  to  be   drawn   from  this  representation,    it 
would  certainly  conclude  in  favor  of  having   no  pattern  at  all; 
and  that  every  one  should  sing  tfie  praises  of  God  in  such  lan- 
guige  as  might  occur  to   himself  at   the    moment.     Then  wo 
shouirl,  every  Sabbath,  have  a  jargon  of  words  and  sounds  infi- 
nitely worse  than  that  which   the  apostle  reprobates  when    he 
says,  !J'  thert-Jore  {he  whole  church  he  come  together  i.'do  one  place, 
cV  al'  spea'c  uith  tongues ;  <^  there  come  in  those  that  are  unlearned 
cr  unhtliezcrs,  rcill  they  not  ^ay  that  ye  are  mad'^     1.  Cor.  XIV.  23. 
Tliis  argument  seems  to'have  some  athnity  with    that  drawii- 
from  the  command  to  singr  a  7iew  son^  to  the  Lord.     From    this  it 
13  inferred  that  we  ought  to  sing  the  eifusions  of  Dr.  VV.     But 
if  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  command,  the  compositions  of  Dr. 
W.  ought  long  before  this  to  have  beQn  laid  aside;  for  that  can- 
not be  called  a  new' song  which  was  composed  a  hundred  yiears 
ago.     All  this  is  ridiculous  and  mere  trilling.     Every  Fsalm  in 
the  book  ofGod's  inspiration  is  always  flew  to   the    man  whose 
understanding  will  be  enlightened  by  the  spirit  of  God.      In  pro- 
portion to  his  advrincemont  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  the 
plan  and  works  of  redemption;  and  in   proportion    to    his  own 
iniividual  experience  of  the  love  of  God,  he  will  tind    the   light 
of  truth  advancing  and  prevailing  over  the   natural  darkness  of 
his  mind;  his  heart  will  always  be  more  and  more  warmed  and 
animated,  so  that  his  song  of  praise  will   always   be  delightful 
and  ahvf»ys  new.     Hence  it  is  said  of  them  who  are  repiesent- 
ed  in  XIV.  chapter  of  the  book  of  Revelation,  as  standing  zcith 
the  lamh  6n  mount  Zion,  and  having  his  father'' s  name   -written  oti 
their  foreheads  \  th:\i  they  sano;  a  neiv  song^  ^c.  a7id   no  man   could. 
ijCarn  thiit  .song,  but  the  hnndred  and  forty  and  four  thousand  which 
mere  red eeme-l from  the  caith.'   Tliis  is    the  very   period   oflhe 
world  in  which  this  jTophecy  m;iy  be  expected  to  be  fulfilled. — 
But  those  who  stanrl  with  the  lamb,  and  sing  this  new  song,  and 
understand  it,  are  not  such  as  liave  forsaken  the  Psalms  of  scrip- 
ture to  follow  the  Vain  inventions  of  men.     In  fact  the  exrrci- 
s.^s  of  devotion  recede  from  the  truth  in   jroportion  as  they  re- 
cede from  the  Psalms  uf  David.     The  fire  of  enthusiasm,  has 
tor  many  years,  kept  the  christian  world   in  a  Hame    and  con- 
<:(?aled  the  light  oi'true  devotion  from    the    under.^tanding;  but 
the  flame  has  begun  to  subside  and  we  are  enabled  in  some  de- 
cree to  examine  tbe  eilects  it  has  produced.     But   armdst- tltc 


wide  spread  desolation,  there  is  nothing  pcrhap*  more  Saciicnta- 
bie  than  the  almost  total  ignorance  of  the  inspired  Psalnris,  and 
the  blind  predjudice-ivhich  has  been  excited  against  them.—' 
There  is  ewery  reason  tft  fear  that  multitudes  who  call  them- 
selves christians  are  forever' unfitted  for  singing  or  for  learn- 
ing to  sing  that  new  song  of  the  hundred  and  forty  and  four 
thousand;  and  that  years  and  perhaps  ag'es  will  be  required  to 
bring  the  churches  back  to  that  true  taste,  that  purify,  and  that 
enlighteneo  devotion,  which  existed  in  former  times,  before  the 
worship  began  to  be  corrupted  by  these  Vain  inventions. 

The  Dr,  tells  us  "  that  he  has  avoided  the  ihore  obscure  and 
cortlroyerted  points  of  Christianity ,''  that  '*  the  contentions  and 
distinguishing  words  of  sects  or  parties  are  secluded;"  that  "  if 
anv  expressions  occur  to  the  reader  that  savor  of  an  opinion 
ditfereat  from  his  own;  yet  he  may  observe  th^t  these  are  gen- 
erally such  as  are  capable  of  an  extensive  sense  and  may  be  ii 
sed  with  a  charitable  latitude:"  and  io  crown  the  whole  he  tells 
us  that  "  where' any  unpieasing  word  is  found,  he  that  leads  the 
worship  may  subslit^ute  a  better."  This  is  charity  with  a  wit- 
cess.  It  is  not  indeed  surprising,  that  the  partizans  of  Dr,  W. 
have  bfeen  willing  to  keep  his  opinions  from  the  eyes  of  the 
world:  For  certainly  if  this  preface  had  been  published  with 
everyeditionof  his  poetical  effusions,  it  would  in  some  degree 
have  abated  the  fervor  of?  innovation.  We  should  consider  that 
this  is  his  own  account  of  his  works,  and  of  the  principles  which 
actuated  his  mind  while  he  was  engaged  in  composing  them. — 
We  would  wish  to  exercise  charity,  and  are  disposed  to  give 
some  credit  to  what  has  been- currently  reported,  that  these  last 
poetical  effusions  of  Dr.  W.  were  rather  the  vagaries  of  the 
mind  of  a  good  old  man,  who  was  substantially  a  christian;  but 
having  embraced  some  erroneous  opinions  in  the  former  part  of 
his  life,  was  left  to  partial  and  afterwards  complete  derange- 
ment of  intellect  as  the  chastisement  for  his  follies.  But  what 
ever  might  have  been  his  principles  and  habits  of  thinking  in 
the  former  part  of  his  life,  he  exhibits  in  this  quotation  a  deplo- 
rable example  of  the  corruption  of  the  heart.  In  fact,  he  tells 
us  in  substance,  if  there  be  any  meaning  in  his  words,  that  his 
*' Hymns  and  Spiritual  Songs"  are  not  designed  to  be  a  pure 
offering  of  truth  and  righteousness,  but  calculated  for  all  sects, 
and  all  characters,  that  choose  to  offer  up  any  kind  of  worship 
to  the  Almighty,  whether  they  receive  the  truths  of  Christianity 
or  not: — that  there  is  a  charitable  latitude  in  his  expressions^ 
t^jitmen  gf  different  opiaions  may  use  them,  every  one  iu  his 


,30  CBSERVATION^.. 

own  sense; — that  even  the  clerk  of  the  congregation,  or  any  one 
that  leads  the  worshi[»,  may  substitute  a  better  word,  if  any  of 
the  Dr.'s  expressions  should  not  happen  to  suit  his  fancy:— and 
to  cap  the  c;im;ix  of  his  absurdity  [I  had  almost  said  blasphe- 
mv]  he  concludes  the  paragraph  with  "  blessed  be  God  we  are 
iijt  confined  to  the  word  of  any  man  in  our  public  solemnities.*' 
When  men  will  not  be  contiued  by  the  word  of  God,  they  will 
naturally  run  into  every  kind  of  extravagance.  Error  has  gen- 
erally small  and  almost  imperceptible  beginnings;  but  they  who 
are  led  hy  its  influence,  are  incapable  of  perceiving  it,  even 
xvhen  it  becomes  palpable.  These  opinions  of  Dr.  VV.  ad.surd 
and  profane  as  they  are,  seem  to  be  currently  received  among 
christians  at  the  present  moment.  In  their  zeal  for  making 
proselytes  they  lose  sight  of  honesty  and  candor:  and  in  their 
unbounded  charity,  the  truth  passes  without  regard.  But  let 
them  tremble  at  the  words  of  insulted  Heaven: — Shall  I  not  vis- 
it for  these  tkings,  shall  not  uiy  soni  be  avenged  on  such  a  nation 
as  tiiis.  We  may  well  say  with  the  prophet: — .'2  -c^onderfid  and 
horrible  thijig  is  committed  in  the  land.  The  prophets  prophecxj 
fals'lij^and  the  priests  bear  rule  by  their  means,  ani  my  people  love 
io  have  it  so :  A:id  what  will  yc  do  in  the  end  thereof. 

Why  should  svhat  is  provided  for  public  singing  be  so  contri- 
ved as 'Mo  give  to  sincere  consciences  as  little  disturbance  as 
possible."  if  those  consciences  are  erroneous?  If  a  man  has  em- 
braced  some  ftilse  imd  corrupt  opinions  in  religion  is  it  right,  is 
it  according  to  the  will  of  God,  that  a  system  of  religious  songs 
chould  be  provided  in  which  the  words  are  capable  4)f  an  ex- 
tensive sense  and  may  be  used  with  a  charitable  latitude,  so 
that  such  a  man  might  conscientiously  join  in  worship  with  one 
whose  opinions  are  correct?  As  we  are  naturally  inclined  to 
error  rather  than  truth,  is  there  not  a  greater  probability  that 
hy  such  an  unholy  union,  the  leaven  of  ialsehood  might  operate 
more  ciTectually  than  truth,  especially  when  it  is  concealed  un- 
der an  ambiguous  expression?  If  the  words  provided  for  pub- 
lic sin^^ing  ought  to  he  such  as  can  be  u?ed  io  this  extensive 
«ense  and  charitable  latitude,  so  as  to  give  afj  little  disturbance 
as  possible  to  sincere  thoup:h  erroneous  consciences,;  might  not 
wi»at  U  provided  for  public  preaching  and  pr;iyec  be  also  contri- 
ved as  to  have  a  double  meaninji;  and  thus  tivoor  more  classes 
of  regions  ciiaracters  might  bo  suited  with  sentiments  accord- 
ina:  io  their  feelings?  Thi,§  truly  is  an  admirahle  contrivance, 
nod  Dr.  W.  ought  to  have  had  a  patent  for  it;  for  there  is  rea- 
son to  fear  that  many  in  this  age  practice  it  upon  the  same  prin- 


#r 


OBSERVATiOIVS.  31 

ciple  without  having  made  any  suitable  acknowledgnnent  for  the 
invention.  But  the  man  who  acts  under  the  influence  of  such 
principles;  although  he  may  be  well  calculated  for  making  pros- 
elytes; yet  he  can  never  bear  the  testimony  of  a  true  midfaitk'- 
Jul  witness  It  is  this  very  poiic}'  which  the  Redeemer  repro- 
bates, when  he  says  Woe  unto  you  scribes  and  pharisees  for  ye 
compass  sea  and  land  to  mti^ce  oiie  proselyte:  and  when  he  is  made^ 
ye  make  him  ten-fold  more  the  child  of  hell  than  yourselves.  It  is 
a  fact  which  nnust  strike  every  one  that  has  reflected  on  the 
subject,  that  in  all  heresies,  and  all  departures  from  the  truth 
of  the  gospel,  the  man  that  first  divulged  the  erroneous  senti- 
ment, was  a  much  better  character  than  the  mass  of  his  follow- 
ers. We  have  no  reason  to  say  that  Dr.  W.  carried  this  false 
s'entinaent  any  further  than  what  he  ^'  provided  for  public  sing- 
ing;" but  we  know  that  many  of  his  followers  are  not  so  scru- 
pulous. They  will  both  preach  and  pray,  so  as  not  to  give 
much  disturbance  to  "sincere  consciences"  provided  they  have 
a  hope  that  their  congregations  will  be  increased  by  it.  \t 
would  be  well  for  us  ministers  of  the  gospel,  to  reflect  occasion- 
ally  on  the  words  of  Paul.  Do  I  now  persudde  men,  or  God?  or 
do  I  seek  to  please  men?  for  if  I  yet  pleased  men  I  should  not  be  the 
servant  of  Christ. 

It  is  true  that  Dr.  W.  possessed  analural  and  highly  cultiva- 
ted talent  for  poetical  composition;  and  if  he  had  exercised  that 
talent  in  versifying  the  Psalms  of  Scripture, — in  translating  the 
elegance  of  the  inspired  psalmist  into  English  verse,  his  name 
would  have  stood  4o  the  latest  ages  on  the  list  of  benefactors  to 
the  church  of  God.  But  as  the  case  now  stands,  it  is  certain  ht 
has  been  the  instrument  of  diffusing  among  mankind,  a  taste 
and  disposition  which  is  altogether  at  variance  with  the  spirit 
of  true  religion.  The  translators  or  versifyers  of  the  system  of 
psalmody  usually  called  "  Rouse's  version  of  David's  Psalms," 
evidently  did  not  consider  ease  and  elegance  of  diction,  or 
smoothness  of  sound,  to  be  an  object  of  much  importance.  Their 
grand  design  was  to  give  the  sense  and  sentiments  of  the  inspi- 
red Psalms.  They  acted  on  the  very  contrary  principle  to 
that  of  Dr.  W.  They  never  thought  of  using  words  that  might 
be  "capable  of  an  extensive  sense  and  charitable  latitude,  that 
they  might  give  to  sincere  consciences  as  little  disturbance  as 
possible."  In  truth  they  seem  to  have  paid  very  little  atten- 
tion to  the  graces  of  composition.  Hence  it  is  not  at  all  surpri- 
sing that  the  compositions  of  Dr.  W.  should  have  been  receiv-^ 
ed  with  actlaipation  by  the  thooghtless  wotld;  because  bis 


S^  OBSEirVATlOI^. 

<»r€at  object  was  ta  please  them,  and  give  as  little  disturbance  ai 
possible  to  their  ccnsciences.  He  has  therefore  been  do  bene- 
luctor  to  the  church.  Ilis  compositions  have  procluceda  kinl 
of  morbid  religious  feeling,  which,  although  it  may  have  some 
symptoms  ot  spiritual  health,  will  nevertheless  miserably  de- 
ceive those  who  indulg-e  in  it.  While  they  think  they  are  ma- 
king ^re:it  advances  in  the  divine  life,  and  his  words  "compose 
their  spirits  to  seriousness,  and  allure  them  to  a  sweet  retire- 
ment within  themselves  ^^  they  are  indulging  a  dream  of  enthu- 
siasm, a  vain  image  of  devotion,  which  God  ziill  despise. 

VVh:itelse  can  be  expected  from follewing  the  man,  wh6  with 
vanity  almost  unparalelled,  and  only  equalled  by  his  presump* 
tion,can  gravely  come  forward  and  tell  us  that  he  has  changed 
the  "  Levitical  ceremonies  and  Hebrew  forms  of  speech  into  the 
worship  of  the  gospel;  that  what  would  not  bear  such  an  alter- 
ation he  omitted  and  laid  aside:  That  he.  would  rejoice  to  see  a 
good  part  of  the  book  of  Psalms  thus  fitted  for  the  use  of  our 
churches,  and  Divid  converted  into  a  christian.'^  Certainly 
there  could  not  be  a  stronger  evidence  of  the  unfitness  of  Dr. 
IV.  to  be  a  leader  in  any  kind  of  devotion,  than  the  ezpression 
of  such  sentiments:  for  they  manifestly  show  either  a  partial 
derang-ement  of  intellect  or  such  vanity  and  presumption  as  arc 
entirely  inconsistent  with  the  humble  spirit  ol  Christianity.  If 
David  needed  conversion  before  he  could  become  such  a  chris- 
tian as  Dr.  W.  there  is  every  reason  to  fear  that  the  Dr  's  Chris- 
tianity was  not  according  to  the  mind  jind  will  of  God.  We  know 
that  David  was  amnn  according  to  God's  own  heart,  k.  that  the 
ipintofthe  Lord  spake  by  him,  even  when  he  indited  those  very 
bnes  which  the  Dr.  despises  &  throws  aside  as  not  fit  to  be  used: 
We  know,  from  his  own  confession,  that  his  Christianity  was  dif- 
ferent from  the  religion  of  David;  we  are  therefore  irresistibly 
kd  to  the  conclusion,  that  Dr.  W.'s  compositions  are  not  a  true 
model  of  christian  devotion.  What  then  I  again  a-^k  can  be  ex- 
pected, but  that  God  will  despise  the  vain  iinaginjitions  of  those 
\vho  forsake  his  word^  and  form  their  devotional  feelings  from 
;h»s  false  model? 

We  shall  take  notice  of  another  exceptionable  passage  in  this 
preface,  and  shall  then  close  our  observations.  He  tells  us  that 
iie  has  "prepared  the  third  part  of  his  Hymns  and  Spiritual 
Jiongs  only,  for  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  supper,  that  in  im- 
i,tation  of  our  ble>^sed  Saviour,  wo  might  sing  ao  hymn  after  we 
bavepJ^rtakcn  of  the  bread  and  wine;"  For  this  part  he  seems 
^0  draw  his  authority  fram  Mark  XIV.  26.     fVk^n  they  had  stmg 


OBSERVATIO^^S.  33 

an  hymn  iJiey  went  out  unto  the  mount  ofOnvc^.  11$  must  havft 
thought  that  the  Redeemer  or  some  of  his  disciples  had  heen 
exercising  their  talents  in  poetrv,  an<l  had  prodticed  an  hymn 
for  the  occasion;  and  therefore  he  had  a  right,  as  the  poet  lau- 
reat  of  the  church  in  his  time,  to  exercise  his  talents  in  produ- 
cing hymns  for  every  such  occasion  after  his  days.  With  ail 
bis  learning  the  Dr.  seems  to  have  been  ig-norant  that  it  has 
been,  and  still  is  the  custom  among  the  Jews,  when  they  have 
eaten  the  passover,  to  sing  or  chaunt  one  of  the  Psalms  of  Da- 
vid, in  the  latter  part  of  the  book,  beginning-  with  Alleluia,  or 
praise  ye  the  Lord,  It  was  evidently  one  of  these  that  Christ 
and  his  Apostles  sang  and  not  an  extemporaneous  eflusion,  or 
a  hymn  produced  for  the  occasion  according  to  the  custom  of 
modern  times.  It  is  not  for  a  moment  to  be  supposed  that  the 
Redeemer  would  reject  his  own  Psalms,  which  all  relate  to 
him,  and  which  are  suited  to  every  occasion  of  christian  wor- 
ship; and  that  he  would  establish  a  precedent,  which  would  have 
put  it  in  the  power  of  every  poetaster  of  ancient  and  modern 
times,  to  impose  his  worthless  or  profane  productions  on  the 
church,  as  hymns  suited  to  those  solemn  occasions,  in  which 
they  commemorate  the  dying  love  of  their  Lord. 

If  [  am  not  very  much  mistaken,  the  modern  idea  attached 
to  the  word  hymn,  as  a  kind  of  poetical  composition  in  s^me 
respects  difterent  from  a  Psalm,  was  in  a  great  desjree  deri\ed 
from  the  productions  of  Dr.  VV.  and  some  of  his  cotemporaries. 
According  to  the  Dr.  and  other  writers  of  the  same  stamp,  a 
Psalm  seems  to  be  a  kind  of  sacred  poetry  formed  after  the  pat- 
tern of  the  Psalms  of  David;  and  hymns  are  a  kind  of  composi- 
tion suitable  to  be  sung  on  certain  occasions,  and  in  particular 
circumstances.  But  this  is  quite  an  arbitrary,  and  altogpfher  a 
modern  idea.  The  Latin  word  carmen,  found  in  that  cehdira- 
ted  sentence  in  Pliny,  which  has  been  quoted  as  a  triumphant 
argument,  that  hymns  were  in  use  among  the  primitive  chris- 
ti  ins,  signifies  any  kind  of  Ode  or  Poem.  No  doubt  the  Psalms 
of  David  were  the  carmina  or  hymns  which  they  sang  to  Jesus 
Christ  ^s  God.  There  were  no  Psalm-makers  in  those  days  a- 
mong  the  persecuted  christians  to  alter  and  amend  the  word  of 
God  and  render  it  suitable  for  christian  devotion.  Nor  is  there 
(he  smallest  reason  to  believe  that  the  orthodox  believers  depart- 
ed on  any  occasion  from  the  Psalms  of  Scripture  to  sing  a  hymn 
of  human  composition.  It  is  however  evident,  from  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  Psalm.s  are  quoted  by  the  apoj^tle  Paul  in  the 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  that  the  primitive  christians  uudeistood 

E 


M  JTEMARKS. 

tb<>m  as  relating  to  the  Messiah.  H'^  never  stops  to  inform  them 
that  the  XLV  and  the  ClI.  which  he  quotfts  in  the  tirst  chijp- 
tor,  are  desisfned  to  hoa)r  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  They  had 
not  lost  this  kmvvled^e  ii  thediva  of  Pliny,  nor  did  they  wish 
to  conceal  the  truth,  that  Je^iis  Carist  received  divine  honors 
in  their  praises.  Ic  was  therefore  very  natural  for  Pliny  to  give 
this  infonnatioa  to  his  master,  that  the  christia»s  were  accus- 
tomed to  asse'oble  and  to  sin^  n  (carmen)  hymn  to  Christ  as 
God;  although  they  sang  nothing  but  the  Psalms  of  David.  The 
terms.  Psalms,  Hymns,  and  Spiritual  Songs,  which  are  men- 
tioned by  Paul  are  only  an  amplification  of  the  varieties  of  sacred 
poetry  which  are  found  in  the  book  of  Psalmji.  There  is  just  a^ 
about  a?  muc!i  dilTerence  in  the  ideas  conveyed  by  these  w  )r  !sr 
as  there  is  in  the  words  iniquity,  transgression,  and  sin,  wh.ch 
are  sometimes  found  in  the  Old  Testament.  No  one  seems  at 
a  loss  to  understanfi  the  general  meaning  of  these  words,  al- 
though it  might  be  ditficult  to  distinguish  them  severally.  VVe 
find  the  Hebrew  word  MlZMOPi,  the  most  frequent  of  the  ti- 
tles of  the  Psalms,  and  this  word  has  exactly  the  same  signifi- 
cation as  the  Latin  word  Carmen,  viz:  any  hii^hly  finished  po- 
etical composition.  We  tindalso  the  word  SIf  iER  which  sig- 
nifies a  50A>if .  and  SfllEn  MIZMOR,  which  mav  be  rendered  ri 
highly  finished  snncr.  Some  are  entitled  RIASCHIL,  which 
Tne^ns,  giving  wisdom ;  some  MfC^HTAIVI.  which  means  golden, 
^c.  but  they  are  all  classed  under  the  general  term  TEHILLIiVf, 
psalms  or  praises.  Thus  we  see  that  the  distinctii)n  which  Dr. 
W.  has  thought  proper  to  make  between  Psalms,  Hymns  and 
Spiritual  Songs,  is  entirely  his  own  invention,  and  has  no  foun- 
dation in  the  original  meaning  of  the  words. 

We  shall  now  t  'ke  leave  of  the  Dr.  and  his  compositions,  as 
♦he  partirular  subject  of  our  criticism,  and  proceed  to  make  a 
fow  general 


I.  OL'R  stated  and  regular  exercises  of  public  devotion  con- 
»ist  in  praise  and  prayer,  and  the  preaching  of  the  word  The 
two  latter  must  alvvays  vary  their  form  according  to  circumstan- 
ces. The  public  instruction  of  the  gospel  must  always  be  suit- 
ed to  the  circumslances  of  the  hearers,  and  therefore  the  form 
of  the  words  must  be  varied  in  every  discourse.  The  same  ot^ 
rcrvatioiis   in  \y  be  made,  with  rctr.ard  to  prayer.     0':r  circinc. 


I 


fiances  and  wants  are  perpetually  varying  and  the  forms  of  our 
petitii'DS  snoul  1  oe  varieti  accordingly.  But  as  it  is  the  duty  of 
every  preacher  to  premediate  his  subject,  and  even  to  clothe  it 
in  some  form  before  he  presents  it  to  his  audience;  so  it  may 
be  very  proper  for  us  also  to  premediate  the  subject  of  our  pray- 
er. Hence  forms  of  prayer  may  be  useful  in  certain  circum- 
stances,  to  assist  us  in  our  devutions,  especially  when  we  are 
youpg  and  inexperienced.  But  those  who  confine  tbemselv^^ 
always  t  >  particular  forms  of  prayer,  whether  ministers  of  the 
gospel,  or  private  cnrisiians,  act  as  absurdly  as  if  they  were  aU 
ways  to  preach  or  to  hear  a  certain  form  of  sermons:  Henco 
there  is  no  form  ofprayer  given  for  our  imitation  in  the  whole 
scriptures.  It  i^  very  evident  that  the  prayer  which  our  Lord 
4aught  his  disciples  was  not  intended  as  a  form  to  be  used  al- 
ways as  it  stands  in  the  Bible,  li  was  intended  to  show  us  how 
to  pray,  and  what  things  we  should  ask.  It  contains  the  sub- 
stance of  all  the  petitions  which  are  agreeable  to  the  will  of 
<jrod.  But  when  the  Eedeemer  prescribed  this  prayer,  he  cer- 
taioly  did  not  intend  to  give  any  man  or  bod^  of  men  the  au- 
thority to  prescribe  forms  of  prayer  tor  the  churches.  They 
may  be  profitably  used  m  some  cases  as  Jaand-maids  to  devoi^ 
tion,  but  when  they  usurp  the  place  of  the  mistress  they  stand 
upon  the  same  footing  of  the  othei  inventions  of  man.  They 
are  an  infringementof  the  prerogatives  of  Jesus  Cnrist.  Heuce 
the  prayers  of  the  prophets  and  apostles  which  are  recorded  iq 
the  divine  word^  are  all  of  them  varied  according  to  their  cir^ 
cumstances,  and  none  of  them  intended  as  forms  for  our  imita- 
tion. 

But  the  case  is  very  different  with  respect  to  our  praises  — 
H«re  a  form  is  absolutely  necessary.  We  are  all  commande^i 
to  sing  aloud  to  God — to  make  a  joyful  noise  to  him — to  sing  for  tk 
the  honor  of  his  name,  «^'c.  As  therefore  there  is  a  necessity  for 
a  form  of  praise ;  so  he  has  given  the  form  in  his  word;  and  has 
given  no  authority  to  any  man  to  alter  or  amend  it.  This  theo 
is  one  of  the  high  prerogatives  which  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hag 
reserved  to  himself.  If  he  bad  thought  proper  to  make  any  al« 
fc  Tuitions  or  amendments  in  order  to  render  the  Psalms  of  Da- 
vid niore  suitable  to  the  present  state  of  the  church,  we  have 
no  reason  to  think  that  he  would  have  left  this  important  work 
untinished  when  he  departed  from  the  earth.  He  would  have 
inspired  some  af  his  apostles  to  write  a  system  of  Psalms  and 
Hymns  and  Spiritual  Songs  for  the  times  of  the  New  Testa- 
zasnt.    But  as  we  do  cot  trnd  a  word  or  syllable  on  this  iubject 


j^  REMARKS. 

in  the  whole  scriptures  of  truth,  we  are  bound  to  believe  that  uq 
surh  authority  is  ^  vea,an(i  that  no  such  thing  is  necessary. 

It  is  evident  thutttie  frequent  acclamations  of  praise,  which 
ftre  found  in  the  book  ot"  Revelation,  were  not  intended  as  pat- 
teni*  of  psalmody.  They  represent  the  substance,  but  not  the 
formof the  praise*  ofthe  churrh  in  these  latter  times  of  the 
gospel:  and  nolhioi^  is  necessary  but  to  have  our  tninds  enlight- 
ened by  t  e  kno\vledL'"e  contained  in  the  New  Testament  to  see 
the  the  substance  of  all  their  praises  in  the  Psalms  of  David. — 
Cjrnpare  for  example  the  XCVIII  Ps aim  with  the  XV^  chapter 
of  the  book  of  I^Hvelation.  The  Psalmist  eyclaims:  The  Lord 
hath  made  kno:vn  his  salvatioji:  his  righttousncas  hath  he  ojKuly 
showed  in  the  si^ht  of  the  heathen.  The  church  exclaims:  ivlio 
shall  not  fear  and  glorify  thy  name;  for  thou  only  art  holyl  for 
all  nations  .shall  co)iie  and  ^vorship  before  thee ;  for  thy  judgments 
are  male  man  fst.  If  it  should  be  asked  why  do  they  not  use 
the  Psalms  of  David,  that  the  argument  might  have  been  con- 
clusive in  their  tavor.  we  answer: — -Tiie  hook  of  Revelation  is 
all  written  in  the  lans,''uag:e  of  symbols,  and  is  consequently  in- 
tended to  express  llie  substance  and  not  the  form  of  words  in 
which  the  praises  of  God  are  to  he  sung.  It  is  enough  that  we 
Rre  told  they  sang  the  song  of  Moses  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb; 
vvhir.h  are  iiothinir  else  than  the  song>  of  Zion  tbund  in  the  book 
of  Psalms  Besides  the  very  sentimerits  here  used  are  at  vari- 
:ujce  with  the  modern  Hymn  bo^ks.  The  great  subject  is  the 
judo;^ments  of  God.  &  v<n<.'eance  executed  on  his  enemies.  Tiiis 
was  the  great  ohjei  t  of  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  and  it  is  here 
represented  as  the  cause  of  their  praises.  What  system  of 
j)raise,  but  tiie  book  of  inspiration^  can  teach  us  how  to  pray  lor 
thf  judgements  of  (jod,  upon  the  woild,  and  how  to  praise  him 
when  tliose  judgments  are  manifest.^  Il  i^  therefore  the  senti- 
ments of  the  book  of  Psalms  wh'ch  are  here  put  into  the  mouth 
of  the  church  by  the  spirit  ot  God.  They  and  they  alone  shall 
be  sung  by  Ihe  christian  church  in  ages  to  come. 

II.  If  Jn.-iis  Chri.it  did  not  think  proper  to  aUer  this  formula 
of  praise — if  the  apostles  did  not  presume  to  alter  or  amend  it; 
it  may  not  only  be  fairly  presumed  that  the  system  is  perfect  and 
net  ds  no  amendment;  but  that  all  who  have  published  new  sys- 
tems of  ps  ilm-  or  Hymns,  or  Spiritual  Sonpfs,  with  the  intention 
of  h  iving  th'Mn  introduced  info  tlie  churches,  have,  in  fact,  u- 
fiurped  onH  of  the  highest  prerogatives  of  the  iirdemer,  and  do 
crpube  tbeiDsehes  to  the  jud^tneaticoataiQed  in  that  admooi- 


RE]VtARK9.  37 

lion.  Prov.  XXX.  6.     Add  thou  not  unto  his  words,  lest  he  reprove 
thee  and  thou  he  found  a  liar 

^'oJhinii  Dvii  bf-vere  judc^ments  will  teach  the  presumptiou^ 
chiidrrH  of  Aaurn  to  aiknowied^e  the  sovereignty,  and  to  res- 
pe' t  tie  ifiStitutionsof  the  Aim^hty,  Nudab  and  Abihu,  the 
8.  us  o  ■  Aurou.  dared  to  ofr*T  stranoje  fire  upon  the  altar  of 
G  d.  ihrtead  olthiit  sacred  tire  whi'h  had  beea  kindled  at  first 
by  nis  rwii  hand,  an  i  was  still  kept  burning  upon  the  altar;  and 
there  went  out  fire  from  the  Lord  and  devoured  them,  and  tkey  died 
before  the  Lord.  The  sentiaient>  contained  in  the  Psalms  of 
IJavid  are  the  sacred  fire  winch  has  proceeded  fronm  the  Al- 
mighty, and  which  he  has  appointed  with  the  agency  of  his  Ho- 
ly Spirit  to  kindle  thf  sacred  flame  of  devotion  in  our  hearts; 
but  if  we  use  for  this  purp>se  the  strange  lire  of  the  inventions 
of  men,  we  have  e.  ery  reason  to  fear  the  judg-ments  of  his  wrath. 
THv^y  may  not  indeed  come  in  the  same  form  of  those  whicb 
were  executed  on  the  sons  of  Aaron:  for  the  judgments  of  these 
latter  times  are  spiritual  rather  than  temporal.  It  is  said  of  the 
Redeemer  thatAg  shall  smite  the  earth  xcith  the  rod  of  his  mouthy 
4ind  with  the  breath  of  his  tips  he  shall  slay  the  wicked.  Spiritual 
judgments  are  much  more  to  be  dreaded  than  tne  most  severe 
of  those  whifh  are  merely  temporal.  They  are  the  death  of 
the  soul,  for  they  harden  the  heart  against'the  fear  of  God.— 
There  is  a  kind  of  infatuation  in  the  use  of  human  psalmody, 
which  renders  those  who  have  adopted  it,  deaf  to  the  admonitions 
of  truth.  They  will  not  attend  to  arguments  which  contradict 
their  favorite  practices.  They  are  more  and  more  hardened 
by  every  new  reproof,  until  ijoally,  God  says  ye  have  chosen  your 
own  ways,  and  your  soul  hath  delighted  in  your  abomhiaiions  :  I  will 
also  choose  youi"  delusions.  Thus  the  Redeemer  smites  the  earth 
with  the  rod  of  his  mouth,  and  still  they  go  on  in  disobedience 
from  generation  to  generation,  and  many  of  them  go  down  to 
the  grave  with  a  lie  intheir  right  hand. 

But  it  is  evident  from  the  prophecies,  and  from  an  impartial 
and  enlightened  view  of  the  moral  aspect  of  the  world  at  this 
moment,  that,  in  this  and  the  following  age,  we  are  to  expect 
the  consumation  of  the  judgments  of  God  which  shall  introduce 
the  kingdom  of  the  Mcssian,  so  clearly  and  so  frequently  fore- 
told hy  the  prophets  We  ourselves  shall  most  probably  wit-^ 
ness  the  accomplishment  of  that  prophecy,  which  in  the  ages 
that  are  past  has  exercised  the  faith  of  the  church,  and  is  still 
sung  in  her  praises.  Our  God  shall  come  and  shall  not  keep  n- 
kncey  afire  ihall  devour  bejoro.  him  and  ii  shall  be  v€ry  temjiestxt^ 


Jft  •       KEMARKS. 

OILS  round  about  him.  He  shall  call  to  the  heavens  Jrom  above  a'B.d 
to  the  earth,  that  he  may  ju  fge  his  people.  \^s.  L.  3,  4.  God  h^s 
siiid,  that  he  is  a  jealous  Goi,  zisiiing  the  ini(juities  of  the  fathers 
upon  the  children  unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation,  it  is  now 
liiree  generation"*  siuce  this  new  kind  ot"  idoiatr)',  this  new  mode 
offering  strange  tire,  was  first  introduced  into  the  cliuich  of 
God.  We  may  therefore  expect  thai  in  the  days  of  vengeance 
thut  are  now  impending,  an  exemplary  punishment  will  be  in- 
dirted  on  all  those  who  have  so  long  and  so  presumptiously  re- 
}erted  the  ordinance  of  God  to  lollow  the  traditions  of  men.— 
He  has  said  and  his  word  will  soon  he  fulfilled:  They  shall  be 
ashamed  of  the  oaks  rvhich  ye  have  desired,  and  ye  shall  bt  confound" 
edfjr  the  gardens  which  ye  have  chosen:  for  ye  shall  be  as  an  oak 
\rhose  leaffadelh,  and  like  a  garden  in  which  there  is  no  -d-ater. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  G  kJ  is  now  less  jealous  of  hispre- 
rogatives,  than  he  was  when  the  prophecies  were  written.  If 
it  was  then  a  sm  to  sacrifice  in  gardens,  or  under  the  shade  of 
an  oak,  when  the  temple  at  Jerusalem  was  the  appointed  pi  ice 
of  worship;  it  cannot  be  less  a  sin  at  the  present  time  to  iorsake 
the  established  and  authorized  system  of  praise,  which  no  one 
will  dare  to  say  has  been  abrogated  by  divine  authority.  We 
should  still  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  the  authority  of  God  to  which 
we  are  to  look,  &,  not  to  the  imaginary  benerits  which  we  think 
we  are  receiving;  nor  even  to  the  imaginary  honor  which  we 
'Jhink  we  are  rendering  to  God.  it  was  thus  that  Samuel  con- 
futed the  vain  reasonings  of  Saul,  when  he  attempted  to  excuse 
his  disobedience  in  not  destroying  the  cattle  of  the  Amalekites. 
The  people,  s^\d  Saul,  spared  the  best  of  ilie  sheep,  and  of  the  o:c- 
<2;2,  to  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  the  j'cst  we  haveutterhj 
destroyed.  But  Simuel  said.  Ualh  the  Lord  as  great  delight  in 
hurnt  offerings  and  .sacrifices  as  in  obeying  the  voice  of  the  Lordl 
Behold,  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice^  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat 
of  rams:  for  rebellion  is  as  the  sin  of  witchcraft,  and  stubbornness 
is  as  iniquity  and  idolatry.  B  -ause  thou  hath  rejected  the  o>)Ord 
of  the  Lord,  he  hath  even  rejected  Ihtejrom  being  king  An  obe- 
dient di-sposition  is  of  more  value  in  the  sight  of  God,  than  ihe 
most  costly  sacrifices.  All  our  worship,  especially  our  praise, 
M  to  })e  considered  in  this  light.  VVe  are  to  render  laiio  God  the 
ta'irificcof  praise,  even  the  fruit  of  our  lij/s  giving  thanhs  to  hit 
name  These  oli»^rings  may  be  pure  and  unacceptable  both  id 
respect  of  the  matter  and  form.  The  matter  or  substance  Oif 
oui-  praise  m  »y  be  an  abominfition  to  God,  while  the  outward 
form  of  it  iis  eucli  as  he  has  coaimaiided;  but  when  we  are  guil- 


iy  o^drsobedience  in  the  form,  the  very  substance  is  contamina- 
ted. Whether  a  sacritice  was  offered  at  ihe  temple,  under  an 
oak,  or  in  a  garden,  the  subvStance  of  it  was  the  same;  but  when 
they  did  not  bring  it  to  the  temple,  it  was  whoily  pol  uJed;  it 
tv'as  all  a  provocaiion  and  broutjht  down  a  curse  and  not  a  bless- 
ing. So  when  the  worshippers  of  God  forsake  his  appointed 
ordmance  in  their  sacrifice  of  praise,  they  may  have  many  go  )d 
sentiments  to  offer,  and  many  good  dispos^rtions  and  affections, 
but  the  sin  af  disobedience,  in  one  part  of  their  worship,  con- 
taminates the  whole.  Sau!  did  right  when  he  destroyed  the  sin- 
ners, the  Am;^Iekites;  but  when  he  spared  the  sheep  and  the  ox- 
en, althoujjh  it  was  intended  for  a  sacrifice  to  God,  his  whole 
service  wa?  poluted  and  he  became  a  transgressor.  It  may  in- 
deed be  said  that  the  cases  are  not  paralcl,  that  although  God 
has  allowed  the  P?alm&  of  David  to  be  sung  in  the  churches,  he 
has  no  where  said,  ye  shall  not  sing  any  human  compositions. — 
But  we  contend,  that  the  very  fact  that  God  has  given  us  a 
form  for  our  praises,  which  he  has  not  given  us  for  our  pray« 
ers,  is  tantamount  to  a  prohibition  of  every  human  form  of 
praise.  It  is  enough  for  us  to  say  that  God  has  given  no  au- 
thority for  such  innovations. 

But  vye  further  remark^  that  the  neglect  of  any  institution  of 
God  is  contempt  of  his  authority;  and  we  cannot  introduce  bus- 
man compositions  into  his  praises,  without  setting  aside  at  leas! 
for  a  time  the  Psalms  he  has  given  us  in  his  woi  d.  It  is  true^ 
we  may  have  a  disposition  to  use  them  on  some  other  occasion^ 
and  not  to  lay  them  aside  entirely;  but  we  do  at  the  time  des- 
pise  the  word  of  God,  v/hen  we  prefer  the  compositions  of  men; 
and  we  do  in  fact  despise  the  authority  of  God,  when  we  for* 
sake  even  for  an  hour  or  a  day,  the  system  which  he  has  author*- 
ized,  and  sing  any  other  compositions  in  his  praises.  This  is  nr 
restriction  of  cbnstian  liberty.  We  have  room  enough  for  the 
widest  range  of  all  our  faculties  in  meditating  upon  the  truths 
of  God,  and  the  wonders  of  his  love.  This  d:ivine  enclosure  i'^; 
as  wide  as  the  paradise  of  God  in  the  Heavens.  Here  there  ie 
no  want  of  any  food  which  a  spiritual  man  requires;  for  the 
whole  fruit  of  the  garden  is  ready  at  our  hand,  none  of  it  i^- 
prohibited;  we  have  access  to  every  tree  that  is  good  for  food^ 
an  i  pleasant  to  the  eye,  and  agreeable  to  the  taste.  Why  then 
should  we  wander  out  of  the  bounds  of  this  garden  of  God-  tc 
seek  after  strange  fruit,  which,  for  any  thing  we  knov/,  may  be 
the  grapes  of  Sodom  and  the  clusters  of  Gomorah. 

The  preceding  parts  of  this  remark  are  made  open  the  sup 


4a  Remarks. 

position,  that  there  are  no  perceptible  errors  in  the  human  cony 
positions  which  are  offered  up  to  Goii  in  his  y^raises.  But  this 
is  hy  no  means  the  tact.  There  are  perceptible  errors  in  all 
the  numan  systems  ot' pj^almody  which  have  ever  been  publish- 
ed. The  Ignorant  and  short-sia;hted  m;iy  not  indeed  he  able  to 
perceive  them,  without  having  them  pointed  out  by  some  one 
who  has  his  mind  better  exercised  to  di.-cern  between  o;ood  and 
evil;  but  in  proportion  as  they  are  scrutinized,  their  errors  be- 
come the  more  perceptible;  and  in  proportion  as  we  exercise 
our  minds  in  spiritual  discernment,  we  shall  be  able  to  perceive 
more  and  more  of  them;  and  thus  it  will  be  found  in  the  end, 
tiiat  errors  have  been  multiplied  in  proportion  as  they  have  re- 
ceded from  the  Psalms  of  Scripture;  and  many  of  them  will  be 
found  at  length  to  be  masses  of  folly  and  deception.  We  have 
seen  that  the  best  of  these  human  compositiof>s  does  in  fact  con- 
tain errors  in  doctrine,  and  that  those  wlio  use  it  do  offer  up 
to  God  falsehood  in  their  praises;  we  have  seen  that  the  argu- 
ments which  the  author  of  it  advances,  to  persuade  the  church- 
es to  adopt  his  system,  are  not  only  replete  with  falsehood,  but 
with  blasphemy;  what  then  are  we  to  expect  from  othpr  wri- 
ters, and  other  compositions,  when  there  is  still  less  of  the  truth 
and  spirit  of  chi  istianify  ?  Those  errors  may  indeed  be  a  small 
consideration,  when  we  read  them  in  our  closets  or  private  re- 
tirement; for  we  then  can  reject  what  we  do  not  approve:  but 
the  case  is  very  diff^^rent  when  we  offer  those  profane  things  as 
a  sacrifice  to  our  lAIaker.  We  then  adopt  tlio-ie  erroneous  sen- 
tirnents  and  mike  tlietn  our  own.  Triey  become  the  lanp:ua<;e 
of  our  hearts,  and  thus  all  our  religious  feelinii;^  and  sentiments 
are  contaminate  1.  Thus  vanity  and  weakness  and  folly  and 
f  ilsehood,  are  en<2;rafted  in  the  hearts  of  the  worshippers  of 
God.  Itouj^lit  not  therefore  to  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that 
such  worship  is  called  an  abomi'iation,  and  that  God  declares: 
thcif  are  app.oplc  that  provoke  me  to  an^er  coiiiinnaHy  toiny/are^-» 
that  sacrjjice  in  s^anJens  an  I  Imrn  incense  on  altars  of  />rtcA;.— 
Theufi  are  a  smoke  in  mi/  nose,  a  fre  that  burnetii  all  the  day. 

HI.  We  are  ve;y  liable  to  be  led  into  errors  by  following  the 
example  of  those  whom  we  believe  to  be  j>^ood  and  holy  tnrn; 
and  our  partialities  in  favor  of  such  characters  will  naturally 
lead  tis  to  adopt  som*'  of  their  etrors,  and  to  d'-aw  the  veil  of 
charity  over  tho^e  which  we  cannot  a<lopt.  There  have  beea 
many  irmd  moial  rharar;ters.  and  apparently  pious  and  holy 
men  of  al.nost  every  reliij;iiiu«J  persuasioi»,  men  whose  hearts 
were  sincere,  anl  whose  iLleniions,  as  fur  a^  they  kutw   their 


REMARKS,  41 

i^wa  bsnrts  were  directe;!  to  the  glory  of  their  maker  anrl  thft 
gool  of  m;ujkirul.     We  do  not  hesitate  to    believe  that   there 
were  mnuy  such  characters  among  those  who  sacrificed  in  gaf^ 
dens  and  burnt  incense  on  altars  of  brick.      We    know  from  the 
history  ot  the  times  of  our  Lord,  that  some   of  the   Pharisees 
Were  not  only  the  most  rigid  morahsts,  and   not  only  attended 
punctually  to  all  the  ordinances  of  religion;  biit  practised  fast- 
ing and  prayer  to  an  extent  that  is  now  seldom   equalled,  and 
perhaps  not  surpassed.     Where  shall  we  now  find  such  a  char- 
acter as  the  Pharisee  whose  devotions  our   Lord    describes  in 
Luke  XVIII.  11,  12.     H  ever  men  speak  the  language   of  the 
heart,  it  is  in  their  silent  addresses  at  the  throne  of  God      We 
have  no  reason  to  doubt  this  floan's  sincerity.     We  cannot  sup- 
pose that  he  intended  to  offer  an  insult  to  his  Maker  by  telling 
him  a  wilful  f  ilsehood.     His  moral  and  religious  character  was 
no  doubt  among  the  first  m  the  age  and    country  in   which  he 
lived.     If  he  lived  in  our  days  he   would  be  esteemed  a  pious 
and  holy  man,  and  his  evam[>ie  would  have  powerful  influence. 
It  caijnot  therefore  be  doubted  that  many  of  (he  ancient   idola- 
ters were  eminent  for  morality   and  for  many  of  those   virtues 
which  adorn  the  human  character.     They  thought  they  were 
performing  their  duty  when  they  worshipped  in  high  places  and 
io  gardens,  and  they  no  doubt  tolt  in  their  hearts,  as  our  mod- 
ern enthusiasts  feel,  that  they  had  more  piety  and  stronger  de- 
votional  affections,  than  those  vyho  regarded  every  ordinance 
of  God.     Thus  their  names   became  celebrated  for  piety  ami 
holiness,  and  (heir  errors  were  sanctified  in  the  eyes  of  the  world. 
Men  reasoned  then  as  they  do  now.     They  had  an  exalted  o- 
pinion  of  their  leaders,  and  they  adopted  their  sentiments  and 
practices  without  much  examination.     Thus  the  delusion  made 
progres^s.  multitudes  were  seduced  from  the  pure   worship  of 
God,  and  led  to  destruction. 

Such  is  always  the  manner  in  which  Satan  deceives  the  world 
by  clothing  himself  in  the  robes  of  an  angel  of  light.  He  is  the 
wisest  and  most  experienced  of  all  politician?;  and  when  he  hag 
any  great  object  to  promote  by  the  agency  of  man,  he  al»vays 
employs  those  who  are  best  calculated  for  his  purposes.  Hence 
many  of  those  who  have  been  the  seducers  of  mankind,  and  led 
thousands  into  error,  have  been  themselves  celebrated  for  mor- 
al excellence.  Even  Epicurus  is  said  to  have  been  rigid  in  hia 
morals,  and  abstemious  in  the  use  of  those  sensual  enjoyments  ia 
which  his  philosophy  places  the  chief  good  for  man.  Nor  can 
it  be  doubted  that  men  of  real  goodness  of  heart,  and  actuated 
by  tbQ  best  molives,  have  sometimes  been  the  unhappy  instco 


^  REMARKS. 

'*- 

ments  of  leading  their  fellov?  mortals  into  sin.  But  such  men 
generally  suffer  in  this  world  severe  chastisements  IVom  the 
br>ndofGod.  Hence  the  instructors  and  the  instructed  have 
strong  motives  to  be  always  on  their  guard  against  the  devices 
of  the  evil  one.  We  should  follow  no  man  farther  than  he  fol- 
lowsthe  word  of  God  We  should  never  suffer  our  judgment  . 
to  be  inlluenced  by  human  authority.  If  we  reverence  the  au- 
thority of  God,  he  has  promised  to  protect  us  from  error,  and 
lead  us  into  truth.  Hence  the  apostle  says  to  all  the  true  dis- 
ciples of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ: — Ye  have  an  unctinn  frojn  the 
Holy  One,  and  ye  knoze  all  the  thing;s.  I  have  not  ivritltn  unto  yoit, 
because  ye  knO'<v  not  the  truth;  but  because  ye  know  if,  and  that  no 
lie  is  0/  the  truth 

IV.  There  is  no  error  more  at  variance  with  the  spirit  of 
Christianity  than  that  false  principle  of  charity  which  tempts  us 
to  think  that  God  will  be  pleased  with  sincere  worship,  whether 
it  be  according  to  his  commandments  or  not.  We  naturally  in- 
dulge the  hope  that  God  will  make  allowance  for  our  involunta- 
ry errors,  and  we  charitably  wish  that  he  may  extend  the  same 
allowance  to  others.  Rut  if  God  were  to  gratify  such  feelings, 
he  would  soon  lose  all  honor  and  even  respect  among  mankind. 
The  very  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  sulferings  of  his  rio«s, 
would  soon  be  esteemed  as  an  idle  tale.  Why  should  we  take 
the  trouble  to  learn  the  true  doctrines  of  the  scriptures,  and  the 
ordinances  of  God's  appointment;  and  why  should  we  take  the 
trouble  to  instruct  our  children  in  any  particular  doctrines  and 
modes  of  worship,  if  nothing  is  necessary  but  a  sincere  con- 
science. This  kind  of  imagination  is  totally  opposite  to  the 
real  character  of  Jehovah.  Ife  is  a  jealous  God,  and  even  visits 
the  sins  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  when  they  neglect  his  or- 
dinances, from  generation  to  generation.  Jealousy  is  not  an  n- 
tniablc  qtiality  when  it  is  found  in  the  human  heart,  because  it 
leads  to  revenue  and  many  violent  passions  nhich  we  cannot 
Control:  but  still  it  is  inseperable  from  love,  where  there  is  any 
reason  to  fear  that  the  beloved  object  may  transfer  his  affec- 
tions. It  is  evident  that  God  has  great  reason  to  be  jealous  of 
U9.  No  church  has  ever  continued  pure  for  many  succeeding; 
generations.  He  may  well  say  concerning  us,  as  he  said  con* 
Cerninj?  the  Israelites.  Of  old  times  I  have  broken  thy  yoke  and 
burst  thy  bonds ;  and  thou  saidst  I  wi/l  not  transgress;  luhen  upon 
every  hi^h  hill  and  under  every  frrccn  tree  thou  leandrrcst  playing 
the  harlot.  God  has  a  high  regard  for  his  own  honor,  and  a 
strong  affection  for  fiis  people;  ami  hence  his  jealousy  is  always 
fKcitedb^a  fvant  of  regardforhis  aiitli9rity.     Ifbe  bad  given 


REMARKS.  43 

C3  no  commandmenls  about  the  manner  of  offering  our  worship 
to  hiin,  nor  told  us  what  kind  of  worship  wjuld  Dc  tlia  most  ac- 
ceptabie;  or  if  those  commaiidiiieots  were  hid  from  us,  60  thafc 
we  had  no  opportunity  of  learning-  this  part  of  our  duty;  thea 
perhaps  w="  might  tind  some  excuse  in  the  consciousness  that  we 
actend  to  ever^  duty  according  to  our  best  judgment:  but  when 
we  disregard  (jod's  mstructions,  and  follow  the  traditions  ot  our 
fathers,  or  what  is  most  pleasing  to  ourselves^  we  certainly  dig 
honor  our  Maker  and  excite  his  jealousy. 

It  is  evident  that  the  Christian  world,  in  this  age,  have  gener- 
ally lost  sight  of  this  distinguishing  trait  in  the  divine  character, 
if  ihis  were  not  the  case,  they  would  never  indulge  the  thought 
that  any  kind  of  sincere  worship  vv  ill  be  acceptable  to  God— 
One  man  presses  to  his  bosom  the  image  of  Jesus  Christ  on  the 
cross,  and  thinks  his  worship  must  be  acceptable  to  God,  be- 
cause his  devotional  feelin-sare  excited  by  it  Another  casts 
aside  the  Fsalms  of  Scripture,  because  he  iinds  something  ip 
them  60  ''Jewish  and  cloudy,  that  it  darkens  bis  sight  of  God 
the  Saviour;" — he  takes  up  the  imitation  of  Dr.  W.  and  his  soul 
immediately  kindles  into  divine  love  and  heavenly  rapture:  then 
be  concludes  that  this  kind  of  worship  is  most  acceptable  to  God. 
A  third  cannot  be  satisfied  even  with  Dr.  W.'s  imitation,  but 
must  have  hymns  and  spiritual  songs  entirely  of  human  inven* 
tion,  and  is  always  searching  after  something  novel,  because 
something  of  this  kind  is  always  needful  to  '•  compose  his  spir- 
its to  seriousness,  and  allure  him  to  a  sweet  retirement  within 
himself."  A  fourth  cannot  bear  to  even  read  those  parts  of 
tht-  word  of  God  which  contain  the  doctrine  of  predestination. 
A  fifth  rejects  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  entirely,  and 
lavishes  all  his  love  and  all  his  encomiums  upon  the  gospels.-— 
Yet  all  these  characters  would  be  mightily  offended  if  they 
were  told  that  their  devotions  and  their  principles  were  an  a* 
bomination  in  the  sight  of  God.  AH  have  xiharity  for  one  anoth- 
er, and  all  please  themselves  with  the  iiope  that  t^eir  worship 
will  be  accepted! 

But  all  these  heterogenous  opinions,  and  all  the  abominable 
practices  which  result  from  them,  may  %e  traced  to  that  great 
spring  of  error,  a  want  of  reverence  for  the  authority  of  God 
in  his  worship,  and  a  paramount  desire  to  please  ourselves  and 
our  neighbors  in  our  religious  opinions  and  practices.  It  w.as 
this  that  induced  the  Israelites,  in  the  times  of  old,  to  forsaiiC 
the  temple  of  God,  an  offer  sacrifices  on  high  places  and  in  gar- 
dens and  groves,  until  God  gave  them  up  to  the  lusts  of  their 
hearts,  to  follow  all  the  abominations  of  tbe  heathen.    It  PTHif 


this  that  led  thf  primitive  christian  churche«!,  ia  the  (ir«t  phce^ 
to  eat  things  Sftcriric<f  d  to  idjis,  and  liiento  j)iu  with  the  id.)la- 
tars  in  their  W!)rship,  It  was  by  means  of  this  principle,  that 
the  man  of  sin  seated  himself  in  the  lemple  cf  God, — that  Anti- 
christ arose  into  power  and  established  iiis  dofninio:)  over  tlie 
christian  world.  From  this  has  originated  a  large  number  of 
the  Various  sects  and  denoniinations  wivich  now  disfi^uie  and 
disi;race  the  church  of  God:  so  that  if  we  have  not,  like  ancient 
Greece,  our  tliii  ty  thousand  g:ods;  yet  we  have  almost  as  many 
dirferent  ways  ofofi'erin^  up  our  worship  to  the  only  true  God, 
aiid  ulmost  as  many  diiieienl  views  of  his  nature  and  ihararter. 
Jn  fact  the  idolatry  of  the  pre-enta^^e  diiTtrs  only  from  the  idol- 
atry of  the  earlier  agres,  because  the  one  was  gross  and  corpo- 
real, raid  the  other  somewhat  refined  and  spiritual:  but  both  o- 
ligiaate  from  the  same  principle,  and  il' there  is  any  dilference 
in  the  ag^gravation,  oar  sin  is  the  greater,  because  hgki  has  come 
into  the  world,  and  men  have  !oi\d  darLncss  better  ihan  li^'it,  be 
cause  their  deeds  are  evil. 

But  although  th-^  jealousy  of  God  will  not  provoke  him  to  cast 
away  his  church,  because  his  promises  shall  never  fail;  y«t  ha 
most  assuredly  will  destroy  the  smuers  out  of  it.  lit  will  not 
merely  cut  themolf  from  the  church,  but  from  the  earth,  when 
he  comes  for  vengeance  in  the  latter  days.  The  whole  of  tne 
prophetic  scriptures,  and  especially  the  Psalms,  abouiid  w.th 
declarations  to  this  in?port.  There  can  be  no  doubt  in  the  mind 
of  any  one  who  has  diligently  investigated  the  prophecies,  that 
the  ages  whif  h  shall  immediately  precede  the  millenial  gloiy  of 
the  church,  shall  experience  the  most  terrible  judgments  with 
Avhirh  Go<J  ever  visit. 'd  the  earth.  T/iea,  sa)  s  the  prophet  Dan- 
iel, there  shall  be  a  time  of  trouble  such  as  there  never  -xas  si'hct 
there  -c^as  a  nation  to  that  same  time.  It  must  also  be  obvious 
that  this  tifhe  is  at  hand,  even  at  the  doors.  We  know  not  wliat 
v\'ill  be  the  nature  of  the?e  judgments,  but  we  know  that  they 
will  fall  chieflv  on  those  with  whom  God  is  jeali>us.  The  dttc- 
laration  of  John  the  Baf)tist  concerning  the  coming:  of  the  Ke- 
deemer,  will  be  fuHilled  the  second  time.  IRsfan  is  in  his  hand 
aril  he  xiiill  thoroughly  purge  hisjioor  an  J  gather  his  nhcat  into 
the  granary ;  but  he  will  burn  the  <haff  nilh  unquenchable  Jire.-^ 
1'his  i-  the  time  when  he  is  about  to  gather  ia  his  wheat.  He 
xvdl  first  enable  bi>  witnesses  to  proclaim  the  tiuth,  in  such  a 
Djann«T,  that  tlie  minds  of  the  world  will  be  c.illcd  to  the  sub- 
ject. None  shall  have  the  excuse  ufij.v(duntary  ignorance.  Py 
the  op^r.dion  of  his  v\ord  and  s|.irit,  he  will,  in  a  certain  de- 
gree, purify  Lid  church;  he  will  exercioc  with  severe  chastise- 


'MXf.Kb. 


45 


ments  those  of  Ms  people  who  have  departed  from  the  purity 
Ot- iii^  wo/ahip;  au;i  lijtu  hi  will  :jO!iiLiii?ace  I'.u'  w.rk  ot  eXle»- 
uiUMU.j^  l>i3  eneuju:S.  He  -u^iU  foiiish  the  zjo-rn^  and  cut  it  short 
in  ri^i'utousness,  for  a  skorl  work  -^rll  iac  Lord  malie  ujjou  Ha 
^artii.  Thus,  Zton  akaU  ue  raJeemed  zi-itii  judgment,  and  her  con- 
vtrts  with  7'i^iiieou!>nt6s:  aat  tkc  citstructi-'n  uj  ike  irans^resnirra 
and  oj  the  sinntrSySh'iU  Oc  together; and  ihi:ij  I'uj/i  ic^Ll'm  Lurd  jUuli 
be  toiisuf.ied. 

V.  itisagieat  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  Psalms  of  David  cannot  witU  pro 
priciy  DC  uuaiesstci  "  to  t'le  lamo  that  icas  sL.in  Uftd  ncr.c  lirtt,  or  to  him  wiio  utN 
ciai'tb,  i  din  lit  tHiit  IkUk  and  wan  dcudy  and  bctioid  I  aiH  alloc /or  etentwrt,  and 
have  i.ic  iccys  oJ  HtU  and  Death.  Vliis  is  evidoutly  tiie  uicaiiing  ol"  lUe  CX. 
Psalui,  whci'e  Cut  Failit^r  is  repi'csetued  as  sayirig  lo  ihi;  Son,  sit  en  iny  rigitt  Hand 
muU  i  liiukt  ituiie  tatru'wb  tiiyj'oot-i'ioci.  \V'uf;ii  liic  Apostle  aeciaits  !ii  me  Xl.V' 
J:*s<itiu,  Tliij  lii'^  onCf  U  (jiKidy  isjorcotr  and  evcr^  ii  is  pi;iia  that  ilie  auoress  is  aiatie 
to  Jeous  Curisl  as  arisen  and  daccntleiliuto  the  heavens,  liut  tiie  Cll  I'aUiui, 
WiiicU  Hit  Apostle  quotes,  is  sail  more  lo  our  purpose;  becau.e  h  snperlicjal  ol>- 
server  migiil  lead,  and  even  sing  this  Fsaltn,  and  never  suspcet  that  it  was  uii- 
ilressed  m  Jesus  Christ  as  tne  creator  and  governor  ol'the  oiiiversft.  But  the  A- 
poalle  applies  it  in  sucu  a  manner,  as  io  scow  that  the  Hebrew  chm-ch,  both  he- 
lure  and  aiier  the  reccptiun  of  the  gospel,  had  been  accustuiued  to  apply  this  jPsaliu 
to  tiie  .viessiah,  ascomnij;  to  build  up  the  wall^  of  Ziou,  and  eitubhsh  nis  kui^ 
doui  over  the  world,  if  iheu  this  Psalm  wa»  addressed  by  llie  Apostle,  and  kveU 
uudcrstood  by  ail  the  pr.muive  churches  to  beK-ng  to  the  lunb  that  teas  sUiin,  toay 
we  iiotiufor  that  many  others,  nay -almost  all  tlie  Psahus,  are  to  be  addressed  lo 
bim  in  the  same  manner.  The  design  of  Dr.  W.  ia  paraphrasing,  and  btiiug 
the  Psalms  for  the  worship  of  the  New  Testament,  was  probably  to  direct  the 
rumJs  of  chijstiau  woi'sbippers  to  this  subject,  lie  probably  intended  to  poitJtout 
the  Uedeemer  more  clearly  than  he  ihoughi  the  Psaiuiitt  had  done;  and  uiscofA- 
posiiwns  always  leave  the  impression  on  the  mind  of  an  ignorant  man,  that  the 
viewsofklie  Palmist  were  dcirk  and  obscure;  and  t^iat  something  more  lumin- 
ous than  the  Psalms  of  David  is  neccss-iry  to  cuable  us  to  £inj  UiC  praises  of  vi-od 
with  the  understanding. 

This  Kind  of  impression  is  very  general  in  the  Christian  church  at  the  present 
time,  dud  it  has  sprung  in  a  great  degree  from  the  use  of  Dr.  W.'s  composition.-4. 
It  is  commonly  snpposed  that  the  Psalms  of  David  are  designed  to'  celebrate  inc 
praises  of  the  Messiah  to  conir ;  but  that  another  system  is  necessary  to  enaoie  ui 
to  sing  the  praises  of  the  Messiah,  as  having  sulFered  and  nsen  and  being  now 
seated  on  tiie  right  h;iiid  of  tjod-  But  the  intelligent  christian  has  not  to  leaij^j 
that  the  eiaitatioo  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  chief  and  prominent  theme  of  the  Psalms 
of  David;  and  it  Dr.  VV.  and  other  intermeddlers,  who  have  set  up  tlieir  wisduni 
against  the  v/isdom  of  God,  had  been  altogether  silent,  the  world  would  have  uvt 
been  so  ignorant  of  this  part  of  divine  revelation  as  tbey  are  at  the  present  day. 
\Vhy  had  the  prmiitive  christians  more  clearness,  and  more  accurate  knowledge 
on  this  subject  than  we,  on  whom  eighteen  centuries  have  poured  their  inert asiug 
light .'  if  Paul,  or  any  other  writer,  were  to  attempt  in  this  age  to  prove  the  e- 
ternal  diviuity  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  Psalms,  it  wtuldbe  necessary  in  the  first 
place  to  bring  proofs  to  show  that  the  Psalms  were  addressed  to  him.  Hence  Wij 
way  see  the  great  danger  of  leaning  to  our  own  understanding,  and  the  incalwula- 
blc  evils  which  have  been  bruugiit,and  will  be  brought  upon  the  church,  by  Dr. 
W.  and  iiis  co-adjutors  in  the  same  unholy  cause.  Ages  must  elapse,  the  present 
efd  future  gcueratiouB  musimlfei-tsrrible  judgments^  axidmulttiutiea  be  debtr^'yt-, 


J 


4'j 


KEMARKS. 


bt' r^;i-c  men  will  I'-nm  to  reveifJicc  the  authority  of  God  ia  his  worship,  andl  btf 
iavtliib  titspiscd  p;irt  ulhis  wuiUaball  ixgamiis  staiiiiing  in  Ins  clmrcli. 

bill  tbe  prtiiinipnou  of  muiikiiid  gcncn.ll)  grows  with  the  Oecrea^  of  know! 
e&^c.  it  issumttiiuesctfufidtntly  asUed  '•  whei-c  is  the  auihoriiy  i'oT  siiiijing  the 
F-alins  of  UaviJ  lu  Uie  iNcw  rcstiiiieut  church.''  Tney  caught  ask  sith  ttic 
SHiue  piupi-jcty,  "  w'hjre  is  the  authority  of  singing  i\\e  praises  of  God  as  a  part 
I'l"  his  v\\.! ship  ;■*'  'I'hobC  who  ia  ancieiit  tirucs  bacrilictu  aud  bur;it  luceusc  in 
higb  places  and  in  garil-.'us  and  groves,  might  also  have  asked  with  the  iame  [»r»>- 
I  rielj,  "  wheje  wasinc  auihoriiy  fur  worsaippiiig  Uod  iu  the  temple  at  Jerusa- 
lem .'"  Tiie  proof  for  the  one  i»  a3  plain  as  ttio  proof  iov  the  o'bcr.  The  fict 
ti.it  the  ttL-jpieoftliK  Loro  was  ertcted  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and  that  btxi 
had  thoken  that  place  to  put  hi';  iiauw  tkeip.,  v/as  suflicitnt  pix>of  that  it  was  the 
dji;  of  ever)"  man  toey  to  Itie  ti'n.ple  >  •  oi- l:i5fcacrih.'."iuu;o  th-  S'lluOti  came: 
bo  Lilio  t!ic  very  faelihat  God  uas  given  the  Fs.ilrrjp  of  David  as  die  matter  and 
foiui  of  the  piaiscs  of  his  chuu:h,  and  the  place  which  the)  occupy  in  tne  sacred 
Vitl  jnie,  a,-  being  the  only  system  of  psalmody  which  was  ever  ^,i\cii  oy  Uie  spirit 
of  iiispiraiioM,  arc  sutlicient  arguments  to  con\iiJce  any  candid  nquircr  that  no 
oilur  s)stcin  it  necessary  or  propei  to  be  used.  But  when  we  are  so  far  advan- 
ced in  christian  knowledge  and  eAperaxfe,  as  to  be  able  to  apply  thebt  divine 
s«  uiiuicuii.  to  our  spiritual  Condition,  and  to  ihe  state  of  the  chrisliau  church,  the 
pioof  tiicu  becomes  as  clear  as  the  gnu  in  the  hetvcns.  We  ai-e  then  ei.ablcJ  to 
hiUcld  t!it  iing  ia  his  btauty,  and  to  exclaim  wiiU  the  Psalmist,  Out  of  Zion  the 
j-crjecilon  rf  btuvtijy  God  hath  simud. 

VI.  Tn<;  itudency -f  human  compositions  iu  the  praifes  of  God  is  to  create 
pride  and  sclf-conGdence.  Indeed  the  \ery  fact  of  casang  aside  God's  own  ordi- 
aaiicc,  and  lollowingau  ordinance  of  man,  sliov.s  a  kind  of  telf-sulficiency  wtiicli 
is  not  eisily  reconciled  with  the  humbh;  s|)iiit  of  the*  g'spel,  and  this  evil  principle 
iikc  uU  otiiersof  the  same  nature  grows  stronsier  and  stronger  by  indulgence.— 
Hence  it  is  not  at  all  uncommon  to  liear  the  tblloweri  of  Dr.  W.  comparing  the 
mural  character  of  their  leader  with  that  of  the  Psalmist,  and  then  drawing  the 
conclusion  in  favor  of  human  cimposiliona.-  The  practical  errors  of  David,  and 
Cl;e.<pecul  uiive  errors  of  Dr.  W.  are  set  in  opposition  as  a  kind  of  criterion  by 
xvhicii  the  comi»ositious  are  tested,  aiid  they  find  li:tle  ditficulty  in  deciJiug  in  fa- 
vor of  the  latter;  because  his  moral  cliaraetcr  was  fair  and  unspotted.  If  there 
was  any  force  in  this  method  of  reasoning,  it  might  easily  be  shown  that  the  fair 
ij.or.'l  characicf  of  Dr.  VV.  can  only  operate  to  render  his  writuigs  the  more  Jao- 
gcioas:  bat  ihc  principle  is  vain  S:.  prcsumptunus.  The  sacied  writere  were  noth 
i:ig  but  the  organ*;  or  iusiruments  by  which  the  spirit  of  God  chose  to  communi* 
(ate  hiS'(ruih;aiid  the  moral  or  immoral  actions  of  David,  have  no  more  intt'i- 
cnccouhis  compositions  than  the  pen  with  which  he  wrote  them.  The  Psalmg 
were  wriiten  by  diiferent  ehuiaeters.  David  wrote  only  a  part  of  them,  but 
<Tod  ia  the  author  of  tluni  all.  and  they  are  fully  sanctioned  by  the  Lord  Jesus 
Ctirist.  How  presumptuous  then  is  the  tboufrbt  that  these  sacred  compositions 
m%\\^  be  contaminated  by  the  practical  errors  of  David  ! 

but  when  the  abettors  of  human  systems  of  psalmody  find  that  this  ground  is  no 
longer  tenable,  they  fly  to  another  resource,  which  only  serves  to  show  more 
plainly  the  powerful  peration  of  the  self-righteous  principle.  They  will  tell 
yon,  "  it  is  of  no  importance  by  whom  the  Hymn  or  Psalm  was  made,  provided 
It  expresses  Uic  fcclincs  and  sentiments  of  true  devotion."  Thus,  every  one  net* 
hiiiiMtfn\i  as  the  jjdgc,  and  makes  his  own  feelings  and  neiitiments  the  standard. 
Ilesiijipuscshimself  to  be  so  well  arqortinted  with  the  Bcnptarcj,  as  to  know 
what  kind  of  praise,  as  a'oII  as  wh  it  kind  of  prayers  ought  to  be  offered  up  to 
fJod.  But  this  is  a  dispos-sitio  whirh  roone  ought  to  indulge  for  a  moment. — 
Our  piaycrs  and  our  praised  ar<'  in  this  respect  very  dissinnhir.  In  our  prayers 
R'i-  Li;ow  our  owa  wuiiu  hiiU  uufiirC8»  ainl  wtj  have  only  to  cousalt  the  word  c< 


ilEMAKKS 


4T 


Ooil  to  learn  v.heuicr  Ihcyirc  agreeable  to  hi*  will:  hnHn  ci.r  p'-.n''«<'s  m'c,  nrci 
merely  tne  coiYiponent  parts  of  a  great  botlv  of  worshippers,  win*  are  .ii  s  j^jioseJ 
to  unite,  not  only  their  heutts  but  their  voices^  in  l^ie  expresi-iou  of  ceitHiu  tlesucs 
and  sentiments  which  they  otlcr  tip  to  Goil.  There  most  therefore  be  asiaiKtmdl 
for  this  part  of  devotion.  But  no  uuinspi.  ed  man  h:i«  any  ri^'!:t  to  claim  the  pit- 
rogative  of  furnishing  such  astandard.  No  uninspired  Rinn  has  a  right  to  draw  ?t 
coi'y  of  his  own  devotional  fcclingsand  sentiments,  and  present  it  a"*  model  for 
his  ueighbor  to  imita'e.  In  fact,  although  a  minister  of  tlie  gospe!,  or  the  liead  of 
a  family  may  choose  what  Psalm,  or  what  part  of  a  Psalm  l-se  jiidp;'s  si;ltni)le  to 
the  occasion,  yet  he  has  no  ri|^httoomit  a  line  or  a  verse  in  th*' middle  of  a  P>alm: 
becaase  by  such  omission,  tiie  sense  may  be  altered,  or  som'j  important  i^ejifiaiont  - 
•f  (Jod's  word  may  be  cast  aside.  U  is  the  duty  of  every  m^n»')fa\of  the  (Tr,;',rc- 
gatinn  to  make  the  Psalmshi'^  particular  study,  and  come  prepared  to  join  wiih 
liis  brethren  ii)  offering  ap  tbe  same  sacrifice  of  praise.  I  he  judicatares  of 
churches  have  no  right  to  decide  what  Psalms  shall  be  f\m%,  or  Miat  kind  of 
praises  shall  be  oflered  to  God-  Their  authority  goes  no  farfijer  than  to  say  what 
version  is  the  most  agreeable  to  the  original.  But  they  ought  to  reflect  (hat  if 
4hey  ar^Uorize  erroneous  sentiments  lo  be  sung  in  the  worship  of  God,  their  sin  is 
much  greater  than  pieaching  false  doctrines;  and  the  elicets  are  trinch  mure  per- 
nicious. If  judicatories  will  assume  an  authori  y  which  is  not  committed  to  <hem^ 
they  ought  at  least  to  reflect  that  they  are  rcsprnsible  for  all  the  e\il  eor.seeuoa- 
ces,  and  if  they  are  the  means  of  inducing  the  worshippers  under  t!)oir  care,  'o  jC- 
fera  polluted  sacriOce  to  God,  let  them  tremble  at  ihe  consequences  of  their  te- 
merity The  worshippers  who  join  •>  such  sacrifices,  are  not  indeed  so  much  ri> 
be  blamed;  because  tiiey  rely  upon  the  wisdom  and  discretion  of  their  teachers: 
but  still  they  are  all  guilty  of  a  much  greater  sin  than  the  Israelites,  when  they  of- 
fered the  blind  and  Ike  lame  in  sacr'i.fice  to  Goil.  They  wei-e  no  doubt  actuated  hy 
a  coTetous  disposition.  They  did  not  like  to  give  tlie  best  of  their  flocks  ami 
their  herds  to  be  consumed  on  the  altar:  bat  here  there  is  no  such  sacrifice  re- 
quired, no  loss  of  property,  no  pain  to  be  endured,  we  are  only  called  to  present  to 
God  the  olFering  of  praise  which  he  has  provided.  Hence  this  boagted  pnucr  of 
judging  and  deciding  what  kind  of  praise  is  agreeable  to  the  scriptures,  which  eve., 
ry  one  who  uses  human  composilionsimaglnes  himself  to  possess,  will  turn  to  hip- 
own  condemnation;  for  the  truth  is,  he  seldom  tries  to  exercise  this  power:  hut 
blindly  follows  his  leaders,  and  sings  any  sentiments  which  they  think  proper  to- 
adopt. 

It  would  be  a  curious  as  well  as  profitable  employment,  for  any  whit  hnd  taU 
ents  and  leisure,  to  trace  the  operations  of  the  principle  of  self-righfeousncss  in  the 
Christian  Church,  from  the  days  of  the  Apostles  until  the  present  time.  It  would 
always  be  found  that  before  this  principle  ventured  to  assume  any  tangible  form, 
tt  had  worked  silently  and  secretly  for  years,  and  perhaps  forages,  by  leading  the, 
Worshippers  of  God  to  prefer  the  inventions  of  man  to  his  institutions.  It  wji« 
not  for  a  mere  punctilio  that  Paul  contended,  when  he  would  noigive  place  for  an, 
tour,  to  certain  teachers  who  came  from  Jerusalem  to  Antioch,  and  taught  the 
Gentiles  thnt  xtnless  they  should  be  circumcised  ar\d  ke?p  thelmrofjyjn'p^,  thnj 
could  not  be  saved.  There  was  nei/her  good  nor  evil  in  circumcision,  if  It  wei-e 
not  imposed  by  authority  and  trusted  in  as  righteousness.  Paul  himself  cireumci- 
aed Timothy,  that  he  might  not  give  otfence  to  the  .lews.  But  when  tl:e  Ju  lai- 
ring christians  attempted  to  impose  it  on  the  Gentiles,  it  was  then  an  introductioft 
of  human  inventions  into  the  worship  of  God;  and  therefore  it  was  resisted  w/ith 
all  the  authority  ami  all  the  eloquence  of  the  chief  of  the  Apostles.  This  evil  in 
the  present  case  has  only  assumed  a  different  and  a  more  imposing  form.  The 
JudaJzing  teachers  thought  to  honor  Moses  by  imposing  the  Mosaic  institutions  oa 
the  church;  the  Psalm  and  Hymn  makers  of  these  latter  days  thought  they  were 
doiog  great  honor  to  the  Lord  Jesua  Christ  by  repeating  his  name^so  fi-eqiiently 


49  F.£MARKS. 

in  their  efTi.-ici  <,  but  as  iliey  h  i.'  n*  nuthori'y  from  ?iim,  tnf  i-  LTrnpfsitiufi*  ,»?f» 
ni.-rf;  atjrks  Misiipi'viOijaliyn,  aiidaie  ihcreibre  calculaltd  to  foster  the  principle 
rf  stlf-nshU'onsrjfss. 

'k^lt  ihiy  U«ve  a?9iimcd  a  trrir melons  responsibility.  E'^fry  minister  vrbo  «- 
se^  ii'irtjan  c(>ntpo«;itions}3  rc'spoTisihle  fir  the  truth  of  eveiy  sciitiTnont  which  hp 
rc;]ds  'ohi'ico.itrn'.iiatioii  as  the  sii')jcct  of  their  praises:  and  tltose  judicatories  wl^flf 
have  auihoiiztU  the  system  of  Dr.  W.  or  any  other  human  system,  are  n'sponsi<* 
ble  for  t!ie  tmthnfnll  the  seiitiments  contained  in  it.  Now  it  is  well  known, 
and  even  adni*ttPii  bv  mmy  r-moiij:  thenisclvtw,  that  there  iire  errors  in  all  these 
sy.tenns.  How  thfii  tiarc  they  suicMtm  siich  sentiments  by  their  authority  ? — 
Truly  there  must  be  ^n  luvful  reckoning  wh»  a  IJod  chilis  them  to  account-not  on- 
\y  Aw  the  mischief  they  have  occa-^ioned  in  the  church;  but  fur  the  souls,  who  by 
tiitir  nicring,  have  been  led  to  ruin. 

Vjl.   There  is  no  s'lbjeet  dearer  to  the  henrt  of  every  true  ch^isfinn  than  the 
union  of  the  ehjirches  of  Christ.     He  desires  and  lonqrs  for  that  period   rrlien   the 
yvutchuien  af  hruel  shall  Lift  ttp  thinr  rnicey  and  ir'ith  thiir  voices  ii:!g  to^rther. — 
Such  a  desire  is  insepcrable  from  tnie  Clinsllarijly,  and  is  In  fact  one  of  the  ero- 
cps  of  (rod's  Holy  Spirit.     ^Idd  to  ijoifr  rirtve  hvcthe^Iy  hinL^ne^^.     No  iHiristian 
tlifrefore  c^n  voluntarily  throw  an  obstriieiion  in  the  wny   of  the   union  of  tho 
rh'jrehf  s.     If  he  has  even  offended  his  ne  iplibor,  be  hastens  to  remove  the  offence, 
that  the  l>rofl.ier!y  feelings  may  apain  be  restoretl.     This  d'sire  has  happily  been 
l^rowins:  amonjj  the  churches  in  these  latter  years.     All  fliat  embrace  the  funda- 
ir.enfal  principles  of  Christianity,  have  for  some  years  been  drawing:  nearer  and 
tiearer  to  e-ioh  other  in  the  exercise  of  chri'jtian  love.     We  may  learn  from  this, 
as  well  as  from  many  oiher  si:rns  of  the  times,  that  the  period  is  drawinc;  near 
'whf'n  the  jarrinj;  jan'j;iii'e:  parties  in  the  church  of  Christ  v,  ill  excliau^e  their  on- 
p;ry  controversies  for  (he  atfectionttte  salutations  of  brotlierly  kindness;  and  march 
ill  solid  column  against  the  enemies  of  truth*     But  it  must  he  evident   that   thi?' 
blessed  union  never  can  be  eftecte<l,  unless  it  be  mutually  aj^reed,  that  the  Psaloia 
of  Scripture  shall  be  exclusively  used  in  every  asscmbiy  of  the  worshippers  of  (Jod. 
7t  never  can  be  attained  by  the  use  of  human  inventions  so  lonj;  as  the  witncsseft 
far  the  truth  reciain  upon  the  earth.     "We  must  ='peak  the  truth,  and  so  lone:  J"* 
cien  cheri'lj  thc^e  errors,  the  trutli  will  create  divi<iions.     This  is  not  one  of  the 
small  trillino:  causes  ofdivisicui  which  might  be  thrown  into   the   shade  and  for- 
{rntten.     We  cannot  join  in  that  worship  which  we  believe  t«  be  a  species  of  idola- 
try.    Wc  inust  testify  a8;ainsl  it.     There  are  hundieds  und  thou-^nnds  at  this  ino-  " 
mentwho  would  choose  to  suli'er  mairyrdom  in  the  flames,  rtither  than  Iclth'Mr 
Toicrts  be  hertrd  in  (be  use  of  fonj^s  whicli  (lod  has  not  auihoiiztd-     It  must  also 
be  obvious  (hut  in  proportion  as  the  sibject  shall  be  better  imderstood,  their  num- 
bers will  eoiv'tantiy  inerea-c.     It  was  only  by  keeping  the  world  in  ic^norance  tht^t 
t^c  friends  of  lii'man  Psalmody  have  had  so  much   success  anionp  mankind.     It 
"ras  by  t!:c  suppre««sion  of  the  preface  of  Dr.  W.  and  callin-.;  his  •«  imitati^v^'  hv 
(he  nanjeof  "  vkusiov,"'  that  they  were  enabled  to  introduce  his  contpositions  so 
«?<»nerally  ir.'o  the  churches  in  this  part  of  the  world.     But  the  evil  ell'ects  of  this 
Kind  of  conduct  ha\e  now  bi'^uu  to  appear.     The  christian  world  are  heirinnin;; 
to  see  their  folly.     The  frietuls  of  truth  will  soon  be  convinced,  and  will  haeftn 
M  remove  tlic  ol'struclians  \^hich  have  been  thrown  in  the  way  of  Christiafl  }»fu^ 


